24 in 24
by Freedom Fighter
Summary: It was supposed to be the night they went all the way. Instead, it's Bridgette's worst nightmare as she now has to find the rest of the cast and turn them over by sunset if she ever wants to see Geoff again. Also stars Noah, Ezekiel, and now Sierra, too!
1. The Night She'll Never Forget

**24 in 24**  
**Story Written by Freedom Fighter**

So this is my second multi-chaptered 'Total Drama' story, and hey, maybe you'll like this one as much fun as the first... that being "Total Drama Fantasy." This isn't a sequel to "Fantasy" (though I am debating whether or not to do one). This one's gonna be more drama than comedy... though there'll hopefully be plenty to keep your funny bones satisfied.

Bridgette is the lead here, and she's another one of my favorite characters. So again, this should be fun.

I'm also using this story to experiment with shorter chapters once again. In the old days, I averaged 40 KB. When I resumed writing last year, I shot for 20 KB. Now I'm halving it again to 10 KB. You know, with shorter attention spans these days... gotta get to the point quicker. I'm hoping this won't sacrifice quality, but given I'm trying to write a few weeks ahead of schedule again, it'll work out. Until said schedule catches up with me...

But enough babbling from me! Story start!

**Disclaimer:** The characters of the 'Total Drama' series belong to Fresh TV, Inc., Teletoon, and Cartoon Network, not me.

**Warning:** This chapter contains suggestive sexual dialogue.

**-**  
**Chapter One - The Night She'll Never Forget (01.24.11)**  
**-**

"So... which one should I go for?"

Bridgette was rummaging through her closet, tossing undesirable outfits over her head and onto her bedroom floor.

"The green one's too Christmas-y," she said aloud as she sounded off each of her choices. "The sky blue one is my fave, but it's the one Geoff saw me in when I had to apologize to him. The red one is smokin'... but maybe it shows a bit too much cleavage? And I'm pretty sure I can't pull off the 'little black dress'... and I have **NO** idea what I was thinkin' when I bought that one!"

It wasn't immediately clear if Bridgette was talking to herself or not, until she walked away from the closet and back to the pile of dresses she had created behind her. It turns out she was talking on her cell phone, which was sandwiched between her right ear and right shoulder. But as she picked up the blue and red dresses again, she froze temporarily, as she tried to focus on what the person on the other end was saying to her.

"Wait," Bridgette spoke up. "I'm gonna have to put you on speaker. I can't understand a word you're saying."

She reached up and moved her phone to the top of her bed. She then pressed the speaker button, and a familiar voice rang out from it.

"Not like I have better things to do... but why are you calling **ME** for dating advice, gurl?"

"LeShawna," Bridgette identified the caller. "I usually girl-chat with Gwen... but we're kinda not speaking to each other... right... now."

She said those last three words very slowly, as she was reminded of the reason why she was keeping her distance from her best friend from the show. But she couldn't let that keep her down for more than a few seconds. After all, the biggest night of her life was ahead of her, one she had been anticipating for weeks.

"So," LeShawna's voice snapped Bridgette back to reality. "you're actually thinkin' about doin' it?"

"Yeah."

Bridgette ran back into the closet, but she could still hear LeShawna talking aloud.

"I know you two are totally into each other, but now you wanna be **IN** each other? You sure your head's on straight? Did you actually take the time to **THINK** about the consequences of taking the plunge?"

"Yes, Mom," Bridgette joked as she emerged, holding a strapless sparkling silver dress.

"Really? Really **REALLY?**"

"I'm well aware of the health hazards. I had to sit through two weeks of sex education in health class, just like everyone else."

"Alright," LeShawna eased up. "It sounds like you know what you're doing."

"Yeah. Still..."

Bridgette's confidence was beginning to waver...

"I'm so nervous. This is what both of us want. But..."

She sat down on her bed, her mile running a mile a minute as she played out her first night alone with Geoff in her mind. She didn't need LeShawna to remind her of what bad things could result from their first night of intimacy. She had been thinking about them virtually every second since they agreed to do it. She knew that her life, as well as Geoff's, would change the moment they hopped into the same bed together. For better or worse.

She knew the risks were great, but the reward was going to be worth it. If her anxiety did not talk her out of it first.

"I'm pretty sure you're gonna ignore me if I tell you point blank to **NOT** do this at all," LeShawna stated, drawing Bridgette's attention. "So here's what I want ya'll to do."

Bridgette leaned in over her phone as LeShawna gave her advice.

"When it's time for you two to get it on, I want you to ask yourself, out loud, do I wanna do this? Then ask Geoff the same question! If both of you can't say yes without any hesitation or second thoughts, back out! Once you lose your virginity, it gone forever, girlfriend! That's a fact!"

"Okay," Bridgette complied to LeShawna's request. "I promise to walk away if we can't commit."

"That's all I ask, girl. You two lovebirds are definitely meant for each other... but that doesn't mean you gotta be rabbits! Be safe!"

"Speaking of safe," Bridgette suddenly remembered, "I still need to pick up some... protection."

"Say no more! I'll let ya finish prettying yourself up! Let me know how it goes, sugar!"

"I will! Thanks!"

* * *

Three hours later, a taxi cab pulled up to a fancy restaurant downtown. After a few seconds, the passenger door swung open, and Bridgette swung her legs out onto the sidewalk. She then used her arms to pull the rest of her body up and out.

"Thank you!" she exclaimed, waving farewell to the driver.

The taxi pulled away, and Bridgette, wearing the silver dress, which fit snugly to her hourglass figure. It was loose enough that it did leave a little to the imagination, but simultaneously tight enough that the only way she could walk was to put one foot directly in front of the other. She wasn't helping her mobility by also wearing three-inch topaz-colored high heeled shoes, but on this night, looking her best was more important than being comfortable.

Until she got to the sex part. But that was still hours away.

As per usual for high-class functions, she had her long, blonde locks tied up in a bun. To complete the outfit, she was wearing cute, pin-sized sapphire earrings and a small hand-held, strapless blue purse, which she had pinned against her left thigh with her left hand as she walked for the door.

But as stunning as Bridgette thought she looked, even she didn't expect the open-jawed stares she got as she walked into the waiting area of the restaurant. From both the workers and the other diners.

"My boyfriend has a reservation," Bridgette said, speaking to the female hostess, who was only a few years older than her and was amazed by the beautiful girl in front of her. "For two, under Geoff."

"Your boyfriend must be the luckiest guy in the world," the hostess said with a smile.

She then motioned for one of her co-workers, a male the same age as her, to show Bridgette to her table.

"He will be after tonight," Bridgette replied, with a nod and a wink.

As she was shown the way, she felt her purse vibrating. Or, rather, her cell phone, which was inside of it. She pulled her phone out and smiled as the caller ID displayed Geoff's name.

"Hey, Sweetie!" cooed Bridgette. "I just got here... the restaurant is unbelievable! It's everything you said it'd be!"

She went quiet for a few seconds as Geoff talked on the other end. She continued to listen as she arrived at the table the two of them would be eating at, and took a moment to compliment the host as he pulled the seat out for her and then push her in.

"Okay," she said after awhile, "we need to stop! Not another word until you're sitting here across from me!"

"Your wish is my command, Bridgey Bear! Be there in ten!"

With that, Geoff hung up. Bridgette returned her phone to her purse, then took a deep breath as she tried to calm her nerves. The host had left the menu for her to think about what she was going to get, but she wasn't in a rush to satisfy her stomach.

She instead decided to satisfy her curiosity, as she started looking around the room at the other diners near her. Her ears quickly picked up on a conversation between three 40-something women, dressed up as if they were at a country club. Not that it was hard to listen in... they were talking loud enough for everyone in that section of the restaurant to hear them clearly.

And they seemed to be chatting about a topic Bridgette knew a lot about. Although she was content to just listen instead of chiming in.

"Did you see the looks on our girls' faces when they got in line at that bookstore?" one of them asked the other two.

"Indeed," one of them agreed. "Ah, to be young, and fawn over cute boys who steal your hearts through song."

"Aye," added the third. "We had our New Kids, they have their Drama Brothers. Yep... there's always a boy band there to reduce teenage girls to mush."

"It's like a rite of passage," recalled the first. "It's part of growing up..."

Bridgette smiled dreamily as she imagined the Drama Brothers being constantly surrounded by girls. Justin, Trent, Harold, and Cody, having all their fantasies come true before their eyes. Particularly Cody, who had the majority of the ladies around him.

"Heh," Bridgette chuckled lightly, "even in my thoughts, Cody thinks he's a ladies' man."

She placed her purse on the table and rummaged through it. Given its small size, it did not take long for her to find what she was looking for. It was a newspaper clipping advertising a book signing for the Drama Brothers, going on at that exact moment at a bookstore about 15 blocks west of where Bridgette was.

"Sorry," she apologized to the 'boys' in her mind. "I did wanna come out and support you. But..."

She put the clipping back inside her purse, brushing against a small box with the back of her right hand as she did.

"I've already got the rest of my night planned out. And it's gonna be the best night **EVER**!"

**To be continued...**


	2. Run, Bridgette!

**24 in 24**  
**Story Written by Freedom Fighter**

Thanks for coming back for the second chapter! The first two chapters were originally the opening chapter... so hopefully those of you who stuck around now can catch the hook...

**Disclaimer:** The characters of the 'Total Drama' series belong to Fresh TV, Inc., Teletoon, and Cartoon Network, not me.

**Warning:** This chapter contains suggestive sexual dialogue.

**-**  
**Chapter Two - Run, Bridgette! (01.31.11)**  
**-**

Five minutes passed. Then ten. Twenty. Thirty.

Bridgette felt her joy and anticipation of what was to come on this special night slip further and further away as she picked from the bowl of Caesar salad in front of her and took occasional sips from her glass of water. She was even beginning to become bothered by all the sad stares being shot her way by pretty much everyone. Not to mention the comments about her being stood up were getting more frequent.

Still, she tried to stay upbeat and hopeful, even as she took out her cell phone and contemplated using it to find out where Geoff was.

"I said I wouldn't talk to him again unless he was sitting here at this table," Bridgette recalled.

But as the minutes continued to tick by, the aforementioned seat continued to remain empty.

Another half hour passed. Then a third. And as the fourth began to wind down, looks of anger, disappointment, and sorrow cycled through on Bridgette's face. The two hosts from earlier watched as Bridgette buried her face in her hands as she began to cry loudly.

"Poor girl," the hostess said to her companion. "We really should do something."

"I agree," the host nodded, then smiled advantageously. "Time to score myself a rebound chick!"

Taking offense to that declaration, his co-worker smacked him in the back of the head.

As he turned around to ask what that was for, neither of them noticed Bridgette lifting her left hand in the air to get the attention of her waiter.

* * *

Soon after, Bridgette unhappily walked out the front door and into the parking lot.

"I don't believe it," she said aloud. "Geoff stood me up."

Her mind burst with reasons as to why her boyfriend would blow off their fancy date, especially given the special event that they had planned at night's end.

One suggestion immediately bubbled to the top. It wasn't the most reasonable one, given Geoff's personality. But with the seething rage growing inside of her, it stuck out as the most logical.

"He's seeing someone else!"

Angry, Bridgette stopped walking, whipped out her cell and speed-dialed Geoff.

"To think... my Geoff! With some other harlot!"

She lifted it up to her right ear and waited for Geoff to answer. Seconds later, she heard Bruno Mars' "Just the Way You Are" playing. It was the ringtone Geoff had set in his phone months ago to let him know that she was calling him. Bridgette's rage softened as she recalled the reason Geoff had chosen that song.

It was because she had been fussing so much over looking more attractive than the other girls out there so that Geoff would never go astray. But despite all of the other available females in the world, with their assorted assets to use as an advantage over her own, Plain Jane ones, Geoff only had eyes for her. As Bridgette remembered him saying...

"You don't need all of that excessive makeup, paper-thin dresses, and silicon implants, babe! You're all-natural! Genuine! You don't need to do anythin' to impress me... because you're amazing. Just the way you are."

Just the way you are.

Bridgette closed her phone up. She was reconsidering her hasty assumption.

"He's been waiting for this night for ages!" Bridgette told herself. "He told me it was going to the greatest party two people alone could ever have! Besides... what rational guy walks away from a girl willingly offering him... sex?"

She gulped upon saying the s-word. A more logical realization had hit her.

"Geoff's not like most guys. But... he still IS a guy. So why..."

She gasped.

"He's scared! OMG, he's scared! Of what will happen! To us! And... and our relationship after this! Perhaps... maybe more afraid than I am?"

Bridgette started walking again as she redialed Geoff's number.

"I have to find out for sure! I have to tell him that he's not alone. He's not the only having second thoughts about tonight!"

Again, the Bruno Mars song began playing. But strangely... in stereo. Well, not pure stereo, but with her phone up to her right ear, she was also hearing the song, albeit faintly, entering her left. While remaining on the phone, Bridgette walked in the direction of the source. Eventually, behind a parked car exactly halfway between the restaurant and the main street that passed by it, Bridgette found 'it.'

Geoff's cell phone.

Lying on the ground, with a huge crack going down the center of the hard plastic screen.

At that moment, Geoff's phone stopped ringing, finally transferring Bridgette's call over to voicemail. She hung up before the beep, then quickly redialed.

"It has to be a coincidence," Bridgette thought. "This can't be..."

She was cut off when the phone again played his song for her. She squatted down, carefully picked the phone up off of the asphalt, and pressed the answer button on it.

"H-h-h-hello?"

Almost instantly, she heard her voice coming out of her phone.

"It's... it's Geoff's phone!"

Bridgette stood back up and started scanning the lot with her eyes, turning her head every which way.

"Geoff? **GEOFF!**"

She called out her boyfriend's name, waiting for a response. When none came, she immediately began to fear the worst.

"Oh no! Geoff! Something... something's happened to my boo!"

Bridgette placed Geoff's phone in her purse and then she went back to her own, searching her contact list as she started walking off, as fast as she could comfortably manage in heels. In the opposite direction of the restaurant, oddly enough.

"Courtney?" Bridgette read aloud. "She said she doesn't carry her phone with her on nights she's tutoring. DJ? If I even suggest something sinister's going on, he'll faint in fear. Geoff? Missing, duh!"

The next name on the list was Gwen. Bridgette stared at it for about four seconds, then moved onto the next.

"That only leaves two people... LeShawna and..."

Bridgette stopped moving for a second and squinted to read the name of the other contact. But when she couldn't, she gave up and clicked on LeShawna's name. Moments later, Bridgette's phone was dialing up her friend's number.

"C'mon, pick up, pick up!" she ordered, even before she could hear ringing.

Her prayers were answered when she heard the other end pick up.

"LeShawna, you've got to help me!"

"I'm sorry," a feminine robotic voice responded, "but the number you have dialed has been disconnected. Please try again."

As the message repeated itself once more, Bridgette had a shocked look on her face.

"Impossible! I just talked to her a couple hours ago! AT THIS NUMBER!"

She hung up, then wondered what to do. Unfortunately, what happened next wasn't going to calm her frayed nerves.

Her cell started vibrating in her hand. Someone had sent her a text message. It consisted of two words.

You're next.

"You're next?" Bridgette stated aloud. "What does that mean?"

She turned about and scanned the parking lot again. She didn't see anyone around her. The blonde then turned her attention to the street. There were a few cars passing by, going in either direction, but none of them looked suspicious to her.

But who knows how long that would hold to be true.

"I have to get some place safe! Around somebody I can trust!"

Good point. But whom can she find in an instant to fit that profile? Thankfully, she would get a quick answer, as she glanced across the street and saw a familiar brown-haired boy sitting in the roadside window at the '50s-style diner across the street.

"Could it be?"

* * *

Bridgette charged through the front door of the diner, and called out the name of the boy she hoped would be her savior.

"**CO-DYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!**"

She had forgotten that she was wearing her heels, and one of them broke underneath the pressure, resulting in Bridgette to fall forward and hit the diner floor, chin-first.

Her pratfall had gotten everyone's attention. Including Cody's, who jumped out of the booth he was in to run over and help Bridgette get to her feet.

"Jeepers!" Cody cried out. "Bridgette, are you okay?"

Bridgette nodded, even as she rubbed her chin and lower jaw.

"What are you doing here, and why are you dressed like that? Oh, and if you don't mind me saying... you look HOT in it!"

"You're hitting on me?" Bridgette raised an eyebrow as she referred to Cody's observation before answering his questions.

"Sorry," Cody apologized, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. "Let me buy you a drink to make up for it..."

"No time!" Bridgette said, grabbing Cody by the collar with both hands. "I'm just glad you're here!"

"Well, thank Sierra. I had to run off after she told me she wanted to get started on our nine kids..."

"You don't understand! Something bad's happening! Really bad!"

Suddenly, the power in the diner went out. But it wasn't just there that suffered an ill-timed blackout, as the street lights and many of the buildings in sight nearby all went dark as well.

"This is not good!" Bridgette began to hyperventilate. "This is not good at all!"

"I know you're scared, but... do you have to hug so tightly? Not that I'm complaining, mind you."

"Hate to break it to you, Code, but... I'm over here."

"Wait! If you're over there, then who's... **AAAAAHHHHH!**"

Bridgette began to hear sounds of Cody struggling with an unknown third party. But they were soon overshadowed by the screams of the diner's employees and patrons, who were shouting in fear as they bolted for the exit, not wanting anything to do with what was going on.

"Cody! Cody, tell me where you are so I can help you?"

Bridgette felt a few people push her aside in their panic, and one was hard enough that she was bumped into one of the metal stools by the front counter. Feeling pain and fearing more was in store if she stayed any longer, her fight-or-flight response began screaming for her to do the latter.

She intended to follow her impulse, but not without reassuring Cody she wasn't abandoning help.

"I'm getting help!" she shouted, hoping Cody would hear her. "Keep fighting! I'll be back as fast as..."

"**NO!**" Cody yelled, interrupting her.

"What?"

She then heard what sounded like a cash register hit the floor, and the sound of coins bursting out of it as a result.

"The assailant's after you!" Cody shouted. "Run, Bridgette! I'll try to hold the guy off!"

"But... I can't..."

"**GO!** Find a safe place, and hide! I'll come find you! I promise!"

Bridgette didn't even react to Cody's demand. She simply followed it. She left Cody behind, racing out of the diner, minus her shoes, and flat-footed it to the one place she knew she would be safe. She didn't dare look back, even as she was leaving one of her friends behind.

Because she knew if she looked back, she was as good as dead.

**To be continued...**


	3. Disbelief

**24 in 24**  
**Story Written by Freedom Fighter**

Got you hooked? Good. 'Cause this chapter introduces the romantic comedy part of the story. Yeah, horror drama to romantic comedy. Odd, I know... but it all makes sense in the long run.

**Disclaimer:** The characters of the 'Total Drama' series belong to Fresh TV, Inc., Teletoon, and Cartoon Network, not me.

**-**  
**Chapter Three - Disbelief (02.07.11)**  
**-**

"Hey, Mom! Have you seen my hat?"

A brown-haired teenage boy, was searching through the messy piles of dirty laundry scattered all over his room, looking for his favorite teal-and-white-colored baseball cap.

"Did you check the closet?" his mom yelled back. "Oh, and do you want strawberry or grape jam on your toast?"

He wandered over to the closet door and pulled it out and to the right, as if it was an accordion. As light entered the small, contained space, he smiled when he saw it on the floor, with the bill face up. He squatted down to pick it up...

But as he did, he realized there was something sticking out of it. Or, rather, someone. Eying the body's shape, he immediately could tell it was a girl. A girl in a silver dress that had become wrinkled thanks to the awkward way she was scrunched up on the floor. There was also a small puddle of water underneath her body, which had already partially soaked itself into the carpet.

"**MOM!**" he shouted. "There's a hottie in my closet!"

"Well, ask her what kind of jam she wants on **HER** toast!" she yelled back, not comprehending what her son had just shouted.

But before the hormonally charged teen could have his way, the girl came to. The cap fell off her face as she sat up... and promptly found herself with a face full of blue jeans. Clean, thankfully, at least prior to her doing so, as her hair was frazzled and still a bit wet. Which she was reminded of when a few droplets ran down the side of her face.

The young male took a few steps backwards to allow her to crawl out. But his excitement turned to disgust when he saw whom he had lusted over for the past 20 seconds.

His sister's best friend.

"For the love of..." he smacked himself on the forehead. "And I thought I was about to score with a babe! Instead, I get... you."

"Nice to know you care," grumbled Bridgette.

* * *

Ten minutes later, Bridgette walked into the dining room. She had dried her hair and changed into some clean clothes: a black short sleeve shirt with a skull across the chest, and a pair of blue jeans.

"Gwen didn't tell me you were staying over," Gwen's mother said as she walked over with a place that had two pieces of toast on it.

"She didn't," explained Gwen's brother, as he looked over at Bridgette, "because she snuck into my room and slept on the floor of my closet!"

"It was dark, okay!" Bridgette defended herself. "I thought I was in Gwen's room!"

Gwen's Mom placed the plate on the table in front of Bridgette just as she sat down.

"Speaking of which," the male teen thought aloud, "perhaps I should wake sis up... and tell her you tried to get in my pants last night!"

"**HEY!**" Bridgette shouted, angry at the made-up accusation.

He got up out of his seat and started heading for the stairs.

"Stop!" the blonde-haired girl commanded him.

He did, but only temporarily to assure her he was joking.

"I was kidding about the 'pants' thing. Like I said, you're not my type anyway."

"It's not that... it's... doesn't she usually sleep in pretty late on Saturdays? She'll kill you if you wake her up now!"

Gwen's brother thought about it for a second, then started walking back to the table.

"Boy, you know Gwen almost as well as I do!"

"Well, we are best friends, after all."

Bridgette mentally breathed a sigh of relief. She did not know if either of them knew that she and Gwen were not currently on speaking terms. And she did not want to have to explain why. Especially if Gwen had not told them yet.

"She'd hate me even more if I told them why we're fighting before she did," Bridgette thought to herself.

"So, you two must've had a wild night last night," chuckled Gwen's Mom. "I can't believe you slep-"

That was all Bridgette heard, as her mind suddenly flashed back to the events of the previous night. The good and the bad. Okay, it was pretty much all bad...

"Can I use your phone?" Bridgette asked as she jumped out of her seat.

* * *

"Ha ha ha ha ha! You... oh my God... you've got to... ha ha ha ha!"

Bridgette was not pleased at the laughter coming from the other end of the phone. So much so that she was contemplating hanging up right there and then, over the fact that the person she was talking to didn't believe her.

"C'mon," the voice finally gathered herself. "Why aren't you laughing? That's the most ridiculous story I've ever heard! Telling tall tales is not your thing, Bridge."

Bridgette just stood there, not answering. After about 10 seconds of silence, the girl on the other end finally got it.

"Oh my gosh! You're not saying anything. You... you mean it? You're serious?"

"Courtney!" Bridgette finally spoke up. "Why would I make up lies about Geoff? Geoff! You know, the guy I want to marry some day?"

"Okay, fine. I believe you. So... have you tried calling the cops yet?"

"No! Whomever did this knows my cell phone number... and probably where I live, and... that's why I'm calling you from Gwen's house! It's the only place I could think of that I could be safe!"

"I can protect you ten times better than that boyfriend stealer! But enough about the pasty one... aren't you being a bit paranoid?"

"No! Of course not!"

Courtney thought for a second, and then...

"Fine. Let me call Noah, and I'll have him pick you up."

"Noah?" Bridgette asked quizzically. "Why do you have his number? Do you two have a thing or something?"

Courtney went silent. Bridgette pushed for an answer.

"Court-"

"**IT'S NOT WHAT YOU THINK, OKAY?**"

With that, Courtney hung up.

"Well, that was unexpected," Bridgette said to herself. "Still... if anyone can help me figure out what's going on, it's Courtney. Geoff is as good as found!"

* * *

Upon hearing the beeping of car horn, Bridgette emerged from the house and made her way to the street. There, a car was waiting for her. It belonged to Noah, who was sitting behind the wheel.

"Care to explain?" Noah asked as Bridgette got in on the passenger side.

"It's kind of complicated," she replied as she closed the door. "I'd rather explain it just once, so can it wait until we get..."

"What's so complicated about Courtney calling me to pick you up from Gwen's house? Not to mention you come out here wearing Duncan's favorite shirt."

"It's the only clean shirt Gwen had that would fit me!" she lied. "I'm a little... uh, bigger... than she is."

"I have no idea if Duncan makes a living getting into girls' skirts, but Courtney's going to flip if she sees you wearing that."

"Good point... but I don't have anything else to wear!"

"Ugh," Noah shook his head. "Don't you live on the other side of town?"

Noah reached over and opened the glove compartment. But the only thing in it was a sky blue sweater-vest, pressed and neatly folded.

"You can thank me later," Noah said as he unbuckled his seat belt.

He stepped out of the car to give Bridgette some privacy so she could change. After about a minute, she lowered the driver's side window and called out to him.

"Done!"

Noah got back in and saw that his spare sweater-vest fit Bridgette's torso perfectly. He was used to seeing her midriff all the time, so it was kind of odd that this time around the only upper body skin he was seeing was her arms. The entirety of both of them. It was a sleeveless vest, after all.

"Good fit, huh?" Bridgette asked.

It sounded as if she was begging him to compliment her. But he knew better of it. After all, memories never completely fade away.

"Swell."

Bridgette looked perplexed by the one-word comment.

"Just... swell?"

"What? You want me to say you look hot?"

Bridgette was stunned by Noah's sudden outburst. Noah, realizing he said what he was thinking out loud, proceeded to purposely bang his head on the steering wheel.

"It's the Yukon all over again," he said, as he wished he could just run away right now.

Bridgette quickly recalled the incident in question, and blushed with embarrassment.

"Sorry! I didn't mean..."

"It's alright," Noah cut her off. "I'll get over it."

"It's just... I have a boyfriend..."

"And there's the four words that reduced your fanboy base to zero."

Again, another stinging comment that Noah meant to think and not say that left Bridgette speechless.

"I'm..." Noah said aloud, "just gonna shut up now."

Bridgette nodded in agreement, or maybe acceptance, but then she heard Noah's cell phone ring.

"After this call," he corrected himself as he answered it. "Hello?"

Instantly, sounds of someone yelling came through the phone. It was up against Noah's ear, so Bridgette couldn't understand any of the words coming out. But she could tell from the look on his face that it was not good news.

"Fine," he finally spoke up, "I'll be there in ten."

Noah ended the call and put the phone back in his pocket.

"We're making a detour."

* * *

Noah pulled the car to a stop in front of a building downtown. Bridgette looked out the window and read the sign.

"Queen Street Medical Health Centre. Noah, what are we doing here?"

But Noah had already hopped out and was walking toward the building's entrance.

"Noah!" Bridgette shouted. "You can't leave the car here! It's a 'No Parking' zone! What do I do if a cop shows up?"

"Tell him you're pregnant!" Noah screamed without looking back.

* * *

"What do you mean I have to take him home?" Noah shouted. "I just dropped him off less than half an hour ago!"

Noah was arguing with the doctor and one of his nurses, both of them quaking in their boots over what had transpired in the office... and the reason why they had asked Noah to return.

"That... freak... is leaving this facility with you, young man! Whether willingly or with him tied to your back! It's your choice!"

"Fine, whatever," Noah relented. "I don't have time to argue! I have appointment, and she'll kill me if I'm late. Literally."

Both the doctor and the nurse led Noah to one of the building's padded rooms. Noah reached for the door latch, but stopped just short. He turned around to look at the doctor once more.

"You **SURE** I can't just leave him here?"

The doctor glared right back at him. As did the nurse, and all of the other workers and patients that happened to be in the area. Noah sighed, then faced forward again and pushed the door latch down to open the door.

"Alright, you. Time to blow this stand!"

He swung the door open, and was greeted by the frightening sight of the occupant charging right for him.

"**OH NOOOOOOOOO!**"

**To be continued...**


	4. Wait, You're Alive?

**24 in 24**  
**Story Written by Freedom Fighter**

Noah got introduced last chapter. This week, Ezekiel officially enters. And just in time, too, because the plot starts up again at the end of this chapter.

This chapter is part of my 'Crack Valentine's Day' event. Because as much as I love canon couples, I get the most fun out of pledging my support for the crack pairings. The crack couple here? It's Ezekiel-Bridgette (aka Ezekette).

**Disclaimer:** The characters of the 'Total Drama' series belong to Fresh TV, Inc., Teletoon, and Cartoon Network, not me.

**-**  
**Chapter Four - Wait, You're Alive? (02.14.11)**  
**-**

Bridgette sat quietly in Noah's car, occasionally turning her head to watch a passing car drive by. Then, suddenly, she spotted Noah's cell on the driver's seat.

"It must've fallen out of his pocket when he got out," Bridgette thought.

She then pulled out her own cell, looked at it, and then at Noah's once again.

"I can't risk using mine. What if the guy after me is tracing it?"

Without thinking a second more, she reached over and picked up Noah's phone to use it to make a call.

"Noah won't mind," she told herself aloud. "No one ever calls him."

* * *

"I regret the day ever giving you my number."

Noah said that last statement as the 'freak' he had come to pick up, Ezekiel, had wrapped his limbs around Noah's torso and was gnawing on Noah's left leg.

"Actually," Noah reconsidered, "I take that back. I regret the day your parents called to ask me if you could stay at my place."

Ezekiel, whose skin was back to his normal pale white, apparently had been sent to the city to seek a doctor who could rid him of his still active 'rabid wild animal' tendencies.

"Don't expect me to pay your lack of treatment, you hacks!" Noah shouted at the doctor.

Noah then started walking for the door. Ezekiel released his grip on his 'caretaker' and followed after him, walking like a chimpanzee.

* * *

"Did you really have to attack them, Home-school?" Noah asked Ezekiel once they were outside. "Your parents want you to be normal again. Well... as normal as a backwater slob fresh off the farm can be."

"I wasn't feeling them, man!" Ezekiel responded, in perfect English.

"There's not many quacks that'll fix what you have. You could've at least given them a chance."

Noah sighed. This day wasn't going the way he had planned.

"This is great," he quipped sarcastically. "I had to detour to pick up Bridgette, then detour to pick up you. Now Courtney's gonna kill me for being late for..."

"Bridgette!" Ezekiel interrupted. "Bridgette?"

"Yes. Did I stutter?"

Ezekiel suddenly leaned back, pointed his head towards the sun, and howled like a wolf. Then, he started to sniff the air for Bridgette's scent. It didn't take long to find it, as his target had gotten out of Noah's car at some point and was standing outside of it as she talked on the phone with someone.

Seeing her, Ezekiel ran towards her on all fours, and Noah gave chase.

"Hold it!" Noah called after him. "Heel! Sit! Stop, boy, stop!"

But Ezekiel didn't listen to any of Noah's commands. And by the time Bridgette had realized he was coming for her, it was too late. He leaped up and tackled her. Bridgette screamed in shock, falling backwards onto the sidewalk. She lost grip on Noah's cell phone as the hand holding it hit the ground, and it bounced a couple times on the pavement before coming to rest.

Ezekiel licked Bridgette's face with his tongue, as if he was a dog and she was his master.

"Get him off, get him off!" Bridgette shouted, unable to push Ezekiel off because he was lying on top of her.

Noah reached them and instantly complied with Bridgette's frantic request, as he managed, with a few hard tugs, to make Ezekiel decide to stop himself. Noah held Ezekiel back with both hands, even though he seemed satisfied with his actions for now, as Bridgette got back to her feet.

"Please don't tell me that's my phone," Noah glanced over at the device now resting on the ground.

"Ezekiel!" Bridgette glared at her attacker, then Noah. "What is **HE** doing here?"

"His parents are paying me to house him while he finishes his psych treatments," Noah explained. "Unfortunately, the clinic here kicked him out because he tried to attack them."

"Okay... well, at least he looks... normal. Now."

"Yo yo yo, my foxy lady!" Ezekiel said to Bridgette. "Don't worry about The Zeke! I'm almost back, and when I am, The Zeke is all yours, babe!"

"I know it's been awhile since you've been human," Bridgette told him, "but get it through your skull! I have a boyfriend!"

"All I'm asking for is five minutes alone with The Zeke! Then you'll change your mind."

"Can you two play tonsil hockey later?" Noah asked as he let go of Ezekiel. "You know how Miss C.I.T. hates tardy people."

Noah picked up his phone from the ground and headed for the driver's seat. Bridgette opened the door to the back seat and pointed into the car. Ezekiel obliged, pushing himself up off the sidewalk with his hands and into the car.

"This day can't get any worse," Bridgette told herself as she closed the door.

* * *

20 minutes later, Noah, Bridgette, and Ezekiel were standing before the front door of Courtney's house. Ezekiel was leaning up right against Bridgette's shoulder, and she was doing her best to ignore him... though his bad-smelling breath made that difficult. Noah rang the bell, and then braced himself for the worst.

The door swung open, and Courtney appeared before the trio. Noah was expecting her to be outraged for making her wait for them... but the look on her face was one of concern. For Bridgette.

"Bridgette! Thank goodness you made it here safe!"

Courtney walked over and gave her former Bass teammate a hug.

"You have to tell me everything!" demanded Courtney. "We're going to find out who kidnapped Geoff and throw the book at him!"

Noah gasped. "Geoff got nabbed? Why didn't either of you tell me?"

"That's what you get for being late!" snapped Courtney. "Don't you know I have a schedule to keep?"

"Um..." Bridgette made up an excuse, "I didn't want you to worry?"

"And what's **HE** doing here?"

Courtney pointed at Ezekiel, who was starting to take offense to her tone of voice.

"Whatever. You call all tell me everything inside."

Courtney led the way in, followed by Bridgette, Ezekiel, and Noah.

* * *

Seconds later, they were all sitting in the living room. Courtney, Noah, and Bridgette were all on the couch, but there wasn't enough room for Ezekiel, who had to settle for the recliner. Once they were comfortable, Bridgette told them everything, including a few things she had left out when she had talked to Courtney over the phone.

Noah and Courtney were understandably shocked. Ezekiel wasn't clear on what was going on, but he stared at Bridgette with interest in her plight anyway.

"So Geoff never makes it to your date, you can't reach LeShawna, **AND** you're helpless to keep Cody from getting nabbed before your very eyes?" Courtney recapped perfectly. "Man, what is with this guy?"

"I'd like to think it's Chris trying to force us to do another 'Total Drama,'" suggested Noah. "Then again, even he has standards."

"But how can we be sure? As far as we know, this psychopath is only going after 'Total Drama' cast members."

"It must have something to do with me," concluded Bridgette. "This guy targeted Geoff first and is trying to make my life miserable!"

"Do you have any enemies?"

"Bridgette's the 'angel' of the show," Noah said to Courtney. "How can she have enemies?"

"I dunno!" hesitated Courtney. "Wait... Gwen!"

"Gwen?" Bridgette stopped to consider the possibilities. "Sure, we don't like each other right now, but... for her to do this?"

"Oh, come on! This is Gwen we're talking about! I trust her about as far as sticks-for-arms here can throw her!"

She was referring to Noah, who was offended by that.

"You know," Noah grumbled at Courtney, "I could let you get an A-minus in history by walking out of this house right now."

Courtney gasped. She couldn't let her perfect-A record be ruined with an A-minus!

"Did **I** say sticks-for-arms? I meant this strong, buff, suave man sitting right next to me..."

"Just go get your research books so we can get started."

Courtney nodded, then bolted for the stairs as fast as she could. Ezekiel took the opportunity to slide off the recliner and sneak over towards Bridgette.

"She's getting an A-minus and she wants you to tutor her?" Bridgette looked at Noah quizzically.

"The girl got a B on our last history paper, and the only way to make it up is to get a perfect score on the next exam," Noah explained. "And guess who teach picked to tutor her so he wouldn't have to?"

"You said yes?"

"You dare say no?"

Bridgette remembered how angry Courtney could get, and then noticed Ezekiel sniffing her leg. She bonked him on the head, and immediately retreated to the recliner. She then turned to Noah again.

"Good point," she said, finishing her thought.

"**WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN HERE? AAAHHH...**"

Bridgette and Noah looked at each other. That was Courtney's loud, surprised voice they were hearing. Or, was, as her voice was abruptly cut off, and then followed by the sound of something hitting the floor.

"Courtney!" Bridgette called out her friend's name.

Hearing the commotion, Ezekiel leaped off the recliner and ran for the stairs, on all fours. Bridgette and Noah followed close behind. As they started climbing, another loud noise filled the air.

This one was of glass shattering.

Ezekiel reached the top of the staircase in only a few bounds, and immediately sniffed the air for Courtney's scent. Picking it up, he made a beeline for the nearest door and smashed through it, shattering it instantly. He began to sniff around the room. It would take a few seconds before Bridgette and Noah could catch up... and the sight before them was not pretty.

The only window in the room had been smashed to pieces, and Courtney was nowhere in sight.

**To be continued...**


	5. Hard Head

**24 in 24**  
**Story Written by Freedom Fighter**

The thing about writing shorter chapters is that sometimes you hit your quota before everything you want to happens, happens. So, just like Chapters 1 and 2, this chapter and the next will make more sense and flow better when read together.

But feel free to enjoy the chapter anyway! I think you'll still like it, regardless!

**Disclaimer:** The characters of the 'Total Drama' series belong to Fresh TV, Inc., Teletoon, and Cartoon Network, not me.

**-**  
**Chapter Five - Hard Head (02.21.11)**  
**-**

Bridgette and Noah had just gotten to Courtney's bedroom, and upon entering they saw that its own glass window had been smashed. The research books Courtney had gone up to retrieve were now scattered on the floor - some still closed, others with pages visibly bent from where the duo could see, even though they were all face down.

Ezekiel, who had reached the room ahead of the pair, was sniffing the carpet with his nose, and he was slowly making his way to the remnants of the broken window.

"Gone..." Bridgette gasped. "Courtney's... gone!"

"I'm starting to regret agreeing to helping you," commented Noah. "Are we even dealing with something that's human?"

Ezekiel reached what was left of the window, and stuck his head through to sniff the air outside. Seconds later, to Bridgette's surprise, he leaped out of the window.

"Did he just..." Noah wondered as he saw Bridgette run for the window.

Bridgette carefully squeezed in between the sharp glass that was still sticking to the frame as she looked to see if Ezekiel was okay. But not only was he uninjured, he was up and running, trying to chase down whomever had grabbed Courtney. Bridgette followed him with her eyes as she saw him run around the corner, heading for the front of the house.

Once he disappeared, Bridgette immediately decided to follow him, as she pulled herself back into the room, then headed out the door and towards the stairs.

"What are you doing?" Noah shouted. "You **WANT** to be the next victim that badly?"

Bridgette ignored him as she sprinted down the stairs, then to and out the front door.

* * *

Out in the street, someone wearing a black ski mask with a ponytail hanging out of the back of it and dressed in a long-sleeve black shirt and hip-hugging blue jeans had just closed the trunk of a red sports car. The person began to head for the passenger side door when the sound of Ezekiel running towards her on all fours caused her to freeze in panic.

"Ezekiel?"

The half-reformed teenager growled menacingly at the sound of his name. The masked girl slowly reached for the door latch, keeping both eyes on Ezekiel. But the second she pulled up on the latch, opening the door, the male teen allowed his feral instincts to take over, and he charged for her.

"**AAAHHH! GO, GO, GOOOO!**"

She was barely halfway into the vehicle as her driver slammed on the gas pedal and raced away from the house. Ezekiel attempted to give chase, but the automobile was too fast. He stopped the pursuit upon seeing the kidnapper get her entire body in the car, then close the door. Seconds later, the car turned the corner and disappeared.

"That's not fair, eh!" Ezekiel shook his fist in anger. "I can't outrun hot rods!"

He started trotting back to the house, moping with disappointment. But that didn't last long when he smelled, heard, and saw Bridgette running out of Courtney's abode, trying to chase him down.

"She really does care!" he exclaimed.

Ezekiel ran towards Bridgette, with arms spread wide, hoping to enclose her in a bear hug upon reaching her. But she caught wind of his plan upon reaching the sidewalk. Just as Ezekiel was about to reach her and ensnare her with his arms, Bridgette sidestepped out of the way. The confused teen ran right past her and into a maple tree in the yard, colliding with it face-first, then promptly falling backwards onto the lawn.

Bridgette crossed her arms over her chest, annoyed that Ezekiel had made a blatant pass at her after she clearly told him she was not available. But then she noticed a strange red splotch on the sidewalk next to her right foot. She squatted down and stuck her right index finger out to find out what it was.

Her digit had barely penetrated the surface stain when it instantly registered with her... it was blood.

"Eek!" she screamed, falling backwards and landing on her butt. "Blood! It's someone's **BLOOD**!"

She turned to her right and looked down the street. They were several more very small puddles of blood, leading up to a set of fresh tire marks that had been scorched into the road.

"Huh?" Ezekiel muttered as he came to, sitting up on the grass.

Seeing Ezekiel up and awake, she got up and went over to him. She then squatted down in front of him, grabbed him by the shoulders, and started to shake him.

"Zeke! You need to tell me **EVERYTHING** that you just saw!"

* * *

After Ezekiel complied with Bridgette's request, the two headed back inside Courtney's house. He had his arm happily interlocked with Bridgette's, and though she was not pleased, she didn't break out of it as she led the way back in. They barely got all four feet in the door when they spotted Noah coming down the stairs, with a clue in his hands.

A clue 33 inches long and metal.

"Is that... a bat?" Bridgette asked curiously.

"Found it in Courtney's room," replied Noah. "It had rolled off to the side."

He then showed off the barrel, including an odd half-inch indentation close to its tip.

"I guess the rumors are true," Noah snickered, "Courtney **DOES** have a hard head! Heh."

Bridgette then suddenly gasped dramatically.

"What?" Noah looked oddly at her. "You know it's true."

Bridgette shook her head as she freed herself from Ezekiel's grip and motioned for Noah to hand her the bat. He complied, and upon taking it, she hastily eyed the indentation.

"There's... nothing on here?"

"Why would there be anything on there? It's a ba-"

Bridgette gasped again.

"Courtney's room! The carpet! The shattered window!"

"You gonna explain, or are you assuming I'm psychic?" Noah asked rhetorically.

Bridgette headed for the steps and ran back up to the second floor. She heard the boys follow her, but didn't look back for confirmation, as she went back into Courtney's room. Upon entering, she went down on all fours and started crawling on the carpet, searching for something.

Noah and Ezekiel entered a couple seconds later, and their hearts nearly stopped when they saw Bridgette crawling with her back to them, and her behind sticking up in the air.

"Why do I have this strange want to pounce on her?" questioned Noah.

He then noticed that Ezekiel was looking oddly at him, in a weird 'we're thinking the same thing' vibe, and a frown formed on Noah's face.

"Why is everything Bridgette-related coming out of my mouth and not staying in my brain?"

Ezekiel shrugged his shoulders. But Noah had no time to figure out his weird behavior, as Bridgette gasped for the third time in as many minutes. They saw that she was kneeling by the window, next to some of the remains of the bedroom window glass.

"It's blood!" she exclaimed, but this time a bit more overjoyed about the discovery. "It's blood!"

"So it's blood," Noah deadpanned as he and Ezekiel walked over. "Your point?"

"It's a clue, Noah! The kidnapper must of cut himself or herself while he or she was smashing the window!"

"Sounds plausible... but how do you know it's not Courtney's blood? As hard as her head is, she still got clocked pretty good with that bat."

"But that doesn't make sense! Shouldn't there be blood on the bat? Or on the carpet? The only presence of blood is here, on the window!"

"Maybe so, but that still doesn't prove the blood belongs to our bad guy! For all we know, he could've rammed Courtney's hard head into the glass to break it!"

Bridgette stomped her foot in anger.

"Will you stop it with the jokes about Courtney's head?"

"Look, Bridgette," Noah clarified. "The point is that, although you make some good points, there's no way to prove that's exactly what happened. He could've use this bat to break the window, for all we know! Plus, there's the matter of how he got **INTO** her room in the first place, **AND** whether he was already in here or not.

"But... I was sure..."

"Don't take it too hard," Noah patted her on the shoulder. "Even someone with much more brain power like myself would have a hard time instantly deducing what actually happened without any solid proof."

Bridgette grabbed Noah's hand and pushed it off of her shoulder, then marched back towards the door.

"I'm going to **PRETEND** you didn't just call me an idiot," she grumbled.

Noah scratched his head, confused as to what he had done to upset her.

"This is why I don't understand girls," commented Noah.

"Bridgette!" Ezekiel shouted. "Wait up for The Zeke!"

He then ran out, leaving Noah alone to contemplate what he had done.

* * *

Ten minutes passed before Noah had figured it out. He headed downstairs to apologize to Bridgette. But a different set of emotions bubbled to the surface when he saw her sitting in the dining room, typing away at a gray laptop. One with a garishly large 'Vote Courtney for Class President' bumper sticker on the cover, but a laptop nevertheless.

"Did Courtney give you permission to use that?" Noah asked.

"Do you **SEE** Courtney around to **ASK**?" Bridgette shot back. "Besides, what I'm doing is going to save her life. And Geoff's. And everyone else's."

"And what exactly **ARE** you doing?"

"Trying to get in touch with the rest of the cast. We need to warn everyone else before..."

"Not you," Noah interrupted her. "I'm asking **HIM** that!"

He pointed to Ezekiel, who had Bridgette's blonde ponytail resting in one hand while he caressed it as if it were a cute kitty with the other. And she was letting him do it without objection.

"Did I **MISS** a moment between you two or something?" Noah looked strangely at Bridgette.

"Got it!" Bridgette shouted, ignoring Noah's query. "Found her address book with all of our e-mails in it!"

Noah was flabbergasted. "How did you..."

"We're sure lucky Courtney was still logged into her account. Or we would've been majorly screwed!"

"Ah," Noah breathed a sigh of relief. "That's more... reasonable."

Bridgette was about to glare at Noah, thinking he had insulted her intelligence yet again. But she became distracted when the screen on Courtney's laptop suddenly went black.

"No!" exclaimed Bridgette. "Not now! Not now!"

"What?" asked Noah, scooting over to Bridgette's side.

"The laptop... it just went dead!"

She began randomly pressing buttons on the keyboard, trying to get the laptop working again.

"Courtney's the only person who has contact information for the entire cast! If we lose it... then we're all done for!"

**To be continued...**


	6. A Plan Goes Awry

**24 in 24**  
**Story Written by Freedom Fighter**

Pounded this chapter out in two hours, and absolutely love it! I hope you all agree!

**Disclaimer:** The characters of the 'Total Drama' series belong to Fresh TV, Inc., Teletoon, and Cartoon Network, not me.

**-**  
**Chapter Six - A Plan Goes Awry (02.28.11)**  
**-**

Bridgette pounded hard at the keys, hoping one of them would result in getting Courtney's laptop, which she was using to contact the rest of the cast, to start working again.

"This can't be happening!" she shouted. "This can't be happening!"

"Move over, surfer chick," Noah said to her. "Let me take a look."

Bridgette slid over in the chair just enough to allow Noah to get enough of his butt on to be comfortable. But the sudden movement allowed Bridgette's ponytail to casually slide out of Ezekiel's hands. And he wasn't happy to have Noah interrupt his 'alone time' with Bridgette's golden locks.

"Gah!" Ezekiel complained.

"Okay..." Noah thought aloud.

Noah's attention was completely on fixing the laptop, so he was not expecting Ezekiel to out of the blue grab his right arm and pull him off of the chair. But the second he did that was the exact instant Noah had gripped Courtney's laptop with his left hand. So as Ezekiel had basically thrown Noah to the ground, the laptop had come down with him.

"What is **WRONG** with you?" Noah yelled as he looked up at Ezekiel.

"Hair!" Ezekiel angrily replied. "Hair!"

Ezekiel then picked up the laptop, and held it high above his head, intending to smash it into pieces on Noah's head.

"Zeke!" Bridgette gasped. "No!"

"Don't do it!" Noah warned. "The RCMP'll be on you like maple syrup on flapjacks!"

Ezekiel seemed fully intent on hurting Noah, but then one of his fingers came across a button on the side of the screen, and out of unconscious instinct, pressed it. The screen flickered, and slowly the image of Courtney's e-mail inbox appeared on it once again.

Seeing this, Bridgette quickly hopped out of her seat and motioned for Ezekiel to give her the laptop.

"Zeke! Be a good boy and hand me the laptop! Please?"

Hearing Bridgette's plea, Ezekiel's rage subsided. He calmly lowered his hands and returned the computer to Bridgette. She took it, placed it back on the table, then put her hand on Ezekiel's head and patted him as if he was a dog.

"Good boy! Good boy!"

Ezekiel squatted down, stuck his tongue out, and let it hang there, as drool dripped from it and down onto Courtney's kitchen floor.

"Ugh!" Noah grumbled. "I need a moment away from you two!"

"Why?" Bridgette asked as he walked away. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing! I just need to make a few calls."

With that, Noah grabbed Courtney's cordless phone, which was sitting on the counter.

"I have to call Courtney's parents, Tyler, and the RCMP."

Bridgette grabbed Ezekiel, wrapped her arms around him, and pulled him towards her, unaware she was burying him face-first in her chest. Ezekiel instantly relaxed.

"You can't call the RCMP on Ezekiel!" argued Bridgette.

"I'm not calling them because of him!" Noah told her. "I'm calling them because this is a crime scene! Some lunatic broke into Courtney's room and kidnapped her! Hopefully, they'll put me in touch with the same guys who probably combed the crime scene at the diner you were at last night, when Cody was taken."

"Oh."

Bridgette was about to go back to work on the laptop, but as Noah began dialing the first number, it suddenly clicked that Noah had also said a name that seemed out of place.

"Tyler!"

Noah groaned. "Please don't do the whole Lindsay thing. That was **SO** last year."

"I meant Tyler as in why are you calling him?"

"You think someone as smart as I is only tutoring one student? Tyler and Lindsay were coming over here as well. I was going to hold a session with the two of them and Courtney all at the same time."

"Let me call Tyler! That way, you already have enough on your plate with both the RCMP and Courtney's folks."

Noah reached into his pants pocket and pulled out his cell phone. He held it out for Bridgette to come get it. She obliged, releasing her grip on Ezekiel, who fell to the floor with a satisfied look on his face.

"Just keep Home-school away from it, alright?"

With that, Noah let Bridgette have his phone. She then started heading to another room to make the call while Noah went back to contacting the RCMP.

* * *

20 minutes later, the trio was outside of Courtney's house, on the front lawn. Bridgette and Ezekiel were sitting inside of Noah's car, with the former behind the wheel. Noah had his poked inside the open window, with a look of concern on his face.

"You sure you want to do this?" Noah asked her. "Go to the park to meet everyone in person?"

"Relax!" Bridgette assured him. "I have Ezekiel with me! He won't let anyone within six feet of me!"

They then both glanced over Ezekiel, who was currently gently gnawing at his seatbelt.

"Charming... but that's not what I'm talking about. I heard you just got your probationary driver's license."

"Oh, don't worry! I passed the written test with flying colors!"

"And the road test?"

"The road test? Of course, I passed the road test, Noah!"

Noah breathed a sigh of relief.

"Even though it was kind of difficult," continued Bridgette, "I'm sure everyone has to take that thing more than once. Or twice. Or... thrice?"

Bridgette put on her best embarrassed smile, but Noah was not pleased.

"I am going to pretend I didn't hear that and that the next time I see my car, it's still in one piece."

"Don't worry! Your car's safe with me!"

The two of them heard a ripping sound. They slowly glanced over at Ezekiel, and saw that the shoulder strap of his belt, which he had been biting at, was starting to tear apart. Bridgette reached over and hit Ezekiel in the left arm with the back of her right palm. The half-feral boy instantly stopped chewing upon being reprimanded, as he leaned back and slumped down in his seat.

"Well, the outside is safe! At least."

Bridgette buckled her seat belt and turned the key in the ignition to start the car.

"Promise me that you'll call me if you're in trouble!" demanded Noah. "Once the RCMP is done with me, I'll find a way to get down there. I'll borrow Courtney's car, if I have to."

He was referring to Courtney's cherry red Corvette sitting in the driveway. Bridgette laughed.

"What?"

"Good luck! Courtney's is a manual, unlike your little go-getter."

Noah facepalmed with disgust.

"Figures. The girl loves gripping hard sticks."

"Noah!" Bridgette took offense to that last sentence.

"What? That wasn't an innuendo!"

Bridgette rolled her eyes.

"Just be careful, okay? I... just don't want anything to happen to you."

Bridgette turned to Noah, lifted up her right hand, and ran it down the left side of his face.

"You're sweet, Noah. With lines like that... I'm sure you'll get yourself a girlfriend one of these days!"

Noah pulled his head out of the car, unsure how to react to that statement. Bridgette put the car in drive and started to pull away.

"Girlfriend," Noah finally uttered, but Bridgette was no longer in hearing range. "Sure... one of these days."

He then watched as Bridgette drove his car to the end of the street, turned left without halting at the stop sign, and nearly get T-boned by another vehicle, whose driver beeps his horn angrily in response. Noah nearly jumped out of his socks after seeing the near-miss.

"Next week," Noah told himself, "I'm tutoring her in driving. Girl's as uncoordinated in an automobile as she is walking."

* * *

But despite a disastrous start, Bridgette managed to make it to the park without any further incident. She got out of the car, as did Ezekiel, and the two headed to the meeting location she had decided upon.

The two made their way to an area of the park near a children's playground, and given it was midday on a Saturday, it was full of young ones, who were having some fun as their parents supervised.

"Just as I thought," Bridgette said to Ezekiel, "there are so many people around! All these Moms and Dads, keeping an eye out for strangers who might try and snatch their kids! That jerk who took Geoff and the others wouldn't dare try to get me here with so many eyewitnesses."

Ezekiel nodded in agreement. The two walked to a nearby empty picnic table and sat down to wait for the others to show up.

"Well, we've got about 20 minutes before..."

Bridgette's stomach suddenly interrupted her, as it made a rumbling sound. She grasped her stomach, aching in pain.

"Man... all of this stress and running around has made me famished! And it is kinda lunch time..."

She reached into her pocket and pulled out four dollars and 28 cents from it. She then saw that there was a concession stand set up about 100 feet away from where they were.

"Hey, Ezekiel... mind getting us something to eat?"

"But, Bridgette!" exclaimed Ezekiel. "If I leave your side, eh, who's gonna protect you while I'm gone?"

"The stand is just over there! Besides, look at all these people around here! I can survive two or three minutes alone."

Ezekiel was apprehensive, but he couldn't very well turn down a request from the girl he had eyes for. He held out his hands before her, and she grinned as she handed him the money.

"That's all I have on me, so just get something small? And we'll just share one drink, okay?"

"Share one drink?" Ezekiel's face lit up. "That's **AWESOME**, eh!"

With that, he enthusiastically made his way over to the stand and got in line. As she waited patiently, she suddenly heard her cell phone. Carefully, she took it out to see who was calling.

The number being shown was one she was not familiar with.

"Should I..."

After debating briefly, Bridgette did answer it. But as she pulled it up to her ear, she was greeted by a loud, deafening scream that made her hastily push it back away from her.

Following the initial shock, though, her eyes went wide upon realizing that she recognized the voice of the screamer. She put her phone back up to her ear and tried to talk to the caller.

"Lindsay? Lindsay, can you hear me?"

"**STOP!**" she heard Lindsay scream. "**STOP! NO! AAAAAAAHHHHH...**"

Then, without warning, the line went dead.

"Oh my gosh..." Bridgette shouted. "Lindsay! **LINDSAY!**"

**To be continued...**


	7. Oh Lindsay

**24 in 24**  
**Story Written by Freedom Fighter**

Do not adjust your computer screen! Read all the way through before you assume this is an accidental reposting of Chapter 1. Because it's not. It's Chapter 7. I swear!

And ignore the fact that the **OTHER** blonde girl is now the lead...

**Disclaimer:** The characters of the 'Total Drama' series belong to Fresh TV, Inc., Teletoon, and Cartoon Network, not me.

**-**  
**Chapter Seven - Oh Lindsay (03.07.11)**  
**-**

An hour ago...

"So... which one should I go for?"

Lindsay was rummaging through her closet, tossing undesirable outfits over her head and onto her bedroom floor.

"The white one's too Easter-y," she said aloud as she sounded off each of her choices. "The cherry red one is my fave, but it's the one Tyler saw me in, like, everyday! The yellow one is smokin'... but maybe it doesn't show off enough cleavage? And I'm pretty sure I can't pull off the 'little black dress'... which is what I'd say if I were anyone but me!"

It wasn't immediately clear if Lindsay was talking to herself or not, until she walked away from the closet and back to the pile of dresses she had created behind her. It turns out she was talking on her cell phone, which was sandwiched between her chin and neck. But as she picked up the red and yellow dresses again, she froze temporarily, as she tried to focus on what the person on the other end was saying to her.

"Wait," Lindsay spoke up. "I'm gonna have to put you on speaker. I can't understand a word you're saying."

She reached up and moved her phone to the top of her bed. She then pressed the speaker button, and a familiar voice rang out from it.

"Not like I have better things to do... but why are you calling **ME** for fashion advice, girl?"

"Beth," Lindsay identified the caller. "I usually girl-chat with Heather... but we're kinda not speaking to each other... right... now."

She said those last three words very slowly, as she was reminded of the reason why she was keeping her distance.

"A study date? You're asking **ME** to pick out what you should wear... to a study date?"

"A girl has to look her best at all times," Lindsay professed, "even when she's going to bury herself in a book."

Beth sighed, then gave her solution to Lindsay's fashion problem.

"Wear the blue one."

"Aw!" complained Lindsay, stomping her foot on the ground. "But you **KNOW** that one makes me look like I'm from the eighties!"

"It also makes you look smart," argued Beth. "Plus, it covers everything! Tyler should be staring at his books, not you!"

"Okay. I promise to wear the blue one."

"Say no more! I'll let you finish prettying yourself up! Let me know how it goes, BFF!"

"I will! Thanks!"

* * *

Lindsay, who had either decided to not follow Beth's advice or was not paying attention, was wearing her normal clothes, including her cherry red tank top, hopped onto a bus and started making her way towards Noah's house. As she took a seat on the half-full vehicle, she felt something vibrating in the purple mini-purse that she was holding. She pulled out her cell phone, which was playing Katy Perry's "Firework" as the ringtone. She had it set to ring only for one person...

"**TYLER!**" she squealed upon answering.

"Hey, babe!" greeted Tyler.

Lindsay giggled. "I love it when you call me babe."

"So... you're on the bus, right?"

"Yep! On the 60, like you said."

"Um... Lindsay?"

"Uh huh?"

"You were supposed to get on the 97!"

"What?" Lindsay jumped out of her seat, then starting running to the front. "Stop the bus, stop the bus, stop the..."

Hearing Lindsay's cries, the driver slammed on the brakes, sending her crashing to the floor hard.

"Owwwww... thanks..."

* * *

Lindsay got off of the bus and made her way across the street to the Centerpoint Mall, at which was located the northernmost stop on the route of the 97. Once there, she called Tyler again as she waited for the bus to arrive.

"Nice cardigan," Lindsay said, complimenting the outfit of another teenage girl there.

Lindsay then whipped out her cell phone to tell Tyler she would be back on track soon, but it started ringing loudly to the tune of Avril Lavigne's "Sk8er Boi."

"Bridgette!" Lindsay shouted as she answered. "Hi!"

"That's my ringtone?" Bridgette asked quizzically. "Really?"

"Why? You don't like it?"

"I like the song, Lindsay, but... wait, that's not why I'm calling you!"

"It's not? Well, I guess this conversation is over then."

"Wait, **WAIT!**"

Bridgette screamed, and just in time too, because Lindsay was in the process of hanging up. She had managed to stop her just in time.

"What?"

"Lindsay! Good, you're still there! Listen very closely... I need you to do something for me!"

"Uh huh..." Lindsay nodded.

"Did you get the e-mail I sent out about ten minutes ago?"

"No. I'm about to get on a bus to go to Noah's..."

"I'm with Noah at Courtney's right now. Listen, I don't have time to explain. I want you to meet me at Sunnybrook Park. It's **VERY** important that you be there by noon! Can you do that?"

"Oh!" Lindsay giggled, opening her mouth again. "Yes. I'll be there. Oh! And I'll call Tyler and let him know too!"

"No need. I just got off the phone with him."

Lindsay was shocked in disbelief.

"How did you..."

"Goodbye, Lindsay," sighed Bridgette, ignoring Lindsay's unfounded accusations and hanging up.

Lindsay hung up and noticed for the first time that everyone at the bus stop had overheard the entire last half of the chat. She blushed in embarrassment.

"Sorry," she apologized. "Girl talk, you know, heh heh, just joking around. So... anyone know which bus to take to get to Sunnybrook Park?"

* * *

It took some finagling, but Lindsay managed to reach her new destination on time... in a cab. After paying the driver, she began to walk away, not noticing that she had left her cell in the back seat. It did not even register to her that she had forgotten it.

Especially when she saw her boyfriend nearby... who had managed to procure a taxi as well. Only his cab was hanging around, even as Lindsay's pulled away and headed back onto the road.

"Tyler!" Lindsay called out.

"Hey, Lindsay!" shouted Tyler. "Boy, am I glad to see you!"

Lindsay started walking over towards him.

"Why?"

"Why? Lindsay, didn't you get my call?"

"No. My phone's on that setting in which it vibrates. What's it called, now?"

"Lindsay!" Tyler snapped his fingers. "I need help!"

He motioned to the driver, who had clasped his large left hand over Tyler's wrist, pretty much keeping him from running off.

"I was short on cab fare," Tyler explained. "Can you spot me four?"

"I think so! Lemme check..."

Lindsay opened her mini-purse and began to rummage through it. Suddenly, out of the blue, an orange sports car zoomed onto the scene. It raced in, blowing right by Lindsay, who instinctively reached down just in time to keep her skirt down and keep her underwear from being exposed, and skidded to a screeching halt right behind the parked cab.

Almost immediately, four people exited the two-door vehicle, all wearing black ski masks. The tallest of group, which was also the only adult among them, pointed towards Tyler. Two of them, both males, raced towards the jock. Upon seeing the trouble heading his way, the cabbie did the first thing that came to mind.

He let go of Tyler, slammed on the gas pedal, and scooted out of the parking lot as fast as his vehicle would let him - his life more important than collecting a full fare from some trouble-attracting teenager.

Tyler had no time to react, his focus darting more towards the escaping driver rather than the two guys running at him full speed. They tackled him to the ground with enough force to make the back of his head hit the grass first.

Upon hearing Tyler go down, Lindsay looked up from her mini-purse and realized what was going on.

"Tyler?"

Unfortunately, the other two masked would-be kidnappers, the adult male and the only female in the group, who had her ponytail hanging out of the back of her mask, had ignored and, in a moment of their own ineptitude, had not realized that she had been there.

"Lindsay!" shouted the girl.

"Hi!" Lindsay waved back briefly, before stopping when she felt a tinge in the back of her brain. "Wait... don't I know you?"

"Get her, get her!" the adult male ordered with haste.

The girl charged for Lindsay, but just as she was about to pounce, Lindsay raised her hand to stop her.

"I'm not sure what's going on," Lindsay said nervously, "but before you do whatever you're gonna do, can I make a call? Please? Heh... I'd use my phone, but I've seen to lost it."

The girl stopped, shrugged her shoulders, pulled her cell phone out and handed it to Lindsay.

"Thanks!"

Lindsay quickly dialed a number, and her would-be attacker waited patiently. Sort of...

"So... who you callin'?"

"Bridgette. I'm sure she'd know what to do. She gets attacked by crazed fans, like, twice a week."

The two shared a laugh, and then Lindsay began to hear the phone ring. Suddenly, the girl snapped, realizing she just made a mistake. She reached out and tried to snatch her phone back, but Lindsay had a tight grip on it and would not let go.

"**AAAAAAAAAHHHHH!**" Lindsay screamed, unaware Bridgette had just picked up on the other end.

Lindsay and the girl got into a struggle, tugging back and forth for sole possession of the phone.

"Lindsay?" Bridgette's voice suddenly rang through. "Lindsay, can you hear me?"

"**STOP!**" screamed Lindsay. "**STOP! NO! AAAAAAAHHHHH...**"

The girl succeeded in pushing the phone out of Lindsay's hands, but in the process, she lost grip of it as well. It ended up going flying towards the parking lot pavement, where the antenna smashed off the top of the phone upon hitting the asphalt.

"That was a brand new phone!" the girl yelled at Lindsay. "I just got it yesterday!"

Angered, she tried to wrestle Lindsay to the ground, but the blonde was strong enough to resist and keep on her feet. Meanwhile, the two young males had knocked out Tyler and were carrying his unconscious body to the trunk of the car.

"Hey!" the adult shouted at the duo, though mostly at his female companion. "You-know-who has a deadline to keep!"

The two stopped, and Lindsay noticed Tyler being thrown into the trunk.

"Tyler!" Lindsay screamed. "**NO!**"

Seizing the opportunity, the masked girl used her right hand to pull Lindsay's left arm behind her own back, then covered the blonde's mouth with her left hand.

"I promise nothing will happen to Tyler," the girl said to Lindsay, though only low enough for her to hear, "if you get in the trunk right now. Understand?"

Lindsay nodded, giving up without a fight. Her captor walked her to the trunk, and Lindsay hopped in, forced to lay down on top of her boyfriend in order for both of them to fit.

Shortly thereafter, they were secured, and the four got back into the car and drove away.

**To be continued...**


	8. The Truth

**24 in 24**  
**Story Written by Freedom Fighter**

A lot of answers are revealed this week... as well as a couple more new questions, perhaps?

**Disclaimer:** The characters of the 'Total Drama' series belong to Fresh TV, Inc., Teletoon, and Cartoon Network, not me.

**-**  
**Chapter Eight - The Truth (03.14.11)**  
**-**

"Lindsay! **LINDSAY!**"

Bridgette was gripping her phone tightly, shouting for Lindsay to respond even though she already knew the line had gone dead. After a few seconds, she reluctantly accepted what had happened, as she plopped down onto a nearby park bench. She placed her phone down on the maple wood table, a few feet away from her, before sighing and lowering her head down on it as well.

"Why?" she asked herself as she placed her hands on top of her head. "Why is this happening to me? Why... why couldn't it be someone else?"

She sat there, lost in thought. For quite a few minutes, in fact. So much so that she did not notice Ezekiel had returned, and was snapping his fingers in her face to get her attention.

"Yo, Bridge! You in there, eh?"

Finally, Bridgette came to after a couple of attempts.

"Zeke? Oh, I'm sorry! I didn't know you were back."

"Is something wrong?" Ezekiel asked, seeing her sad face. "The Zeke is here to solve all your problems, eh!"

"That's sweet, but... it's nothing you should worry about. Just a minor setback, that's all."

Ezekiel was completely satisfied with that answer, as he turned his attention to the trapezoidal box of food in front of him, and started devouring the first of two hot dogs in it, adding half-fistfuls of fries every other bite. Bridgette resigned herself to getting her mind off the issue at hand, if only for a minute or two, and went to eat what Ezekiel had gotten her.

But he had also bought her two hot dogs and fries.

"Um, Zeke? You **KNOW** I'm a vegetarian, right?"

Ezekiel nodded without stopping his mass munching session.

"You know what that means, right?"

Again, Ezekiel nodded, but continued on.

"That means I don't eat meat. Which means I don't eat hot dogs!"

Upon hearing that last sentence, Ezekiel finally stopped gobbling, his attention fully on Bridgette and the look of displeasure on it.

"So that means... you **AREN'T** gonna eat them?"

Bridgette groaned, then got up from the bench and started walking away. Ezekiel shrugged, taking Bridgette's box of food and dumping its contents into his, as his top priority at the moment was satisfying his rumbling belly. As for Bridgette, she headed over to a nearby pond and took a seat, cross-legged, a few feet from the water.

"What am I gonna do?" she began questioning herself. "How long can I keep this up before someone finds out?"

* * *

Meanwhile, twenty feet away back at the picnic table, Ezekiel had already downed three of the four dogs, bun and all, and was almost done with the fourth, when he caught, out of the corner of his eye, Bridgette's cell vibrating. He instinctively picked it up, and noted that someone had sent her a text message.

Ezekiel fiddled with the phone, not completely sure as to what to do as he did not have one of his own. But after a few attempts, he did manage to open the message so he could read it. Once he began, though, his jaw dropped open in shock, releasing the half-chewed food in it.

* * *

Bridgette was now gazing absentmindedly into the pond water, feeling lost and distraught over her current situation. She saw her own reflection in the pond, but it was soon joined by Ezekiel. And he had an angry look on his face... and he was holding up her cell phone.

"Hey..." Bridgette said slowly, "Ezekiel!"

"Don't you 'Hey, Ezekiel' me!" an enraged Ezekiel yelled.

Bridgette got up from the ground and turned around to face him.

"What's wrong?" she asked, though given he was holding her cell, she could already guess.

"**THIS!**"

Ezekiel flipped the cover up and showed Bridgette the text message that had just been sent to her. Bridgette gulped before reading the dreadful text aloud.

"'Good work, Blondie. Seven to go, six hours left. Finish on time or you'll never see your Geoffy-poo ever again.'"

The instant Bridgette had finished reading, Ezekiel snapped it back closed, right in her face.

"I'm not the smartest guy around, eh," Ezekiel readily admitted, "but something tells me you're helping these jokers snatch up all us Total Drama guys. Aren't you?"

Bridgette laughed nervously. "What... makes... you... say that?"

Ezekiel opened the phone again, and flipped it to the last text message Bridgette had received before the current one. Ezekiel then read that one aloud.

"'Send Tyler and Lindsay to Sunnybrook Park. I'll take care of the rest.'"

Bridgette was sweating profusely as Ezekiel closed the phone again and started advancing towards her.

"So that's why you let me hold your hand... and play with your hair, **AND** smothered me in your chest!"

* * *

Flashback to a couple hours ago, on Courtney's front lawn...

"You have to promise not to tell Noah anything you just saw here!" Bridgette said to Ezekiel. "I'll tell him what I believe he needs to know, but other than that... I don't want to jeopardize my plans to catch these kidnapping fiends!"

"You sure, eh?" Ezekiel scratched his head, confused. "Noah is kind of a know-it-all, you know?"

"Yeah, but I can't trust him. Not like I can trust you."

"But... why should I trust you over him? You know... other than the obvious?"

Bridgette walked over and interlocked her right arm with his left arm. She then leaned against him, and Ezekiel instantly felt as if he had floated up to Cloud Nine.

"So?" Bridgette asked, flirtatiously, "do we have a deal?"

Ezekiel nodded with exuberance.

* * *

Present time...

"You're working for **THEM**!" Ezekiel pointed at Bridgette. "You've been setting the others up so they can get kidnapped!"

"No!" argued Bridgette. "That's not what's been happening! It's... it's just been one unfortunate coincidence after another. That's... that's all! I swear!"

"Really?"

Ezekiel pulled out the receipt he had gotten from the concession stand. The first two words at the top of it were 'High Park.'

"The e-mail you wrote said we were all meeting here, at High Park! So, eh... why did you send those two somewhere else?"

Bridgette quickly clammed up, unwilling to give an answer.

"Am I next, eh?"

Ezekiel's head and eyes darted around the surrounding area, looking for anyone suspicious who might be coming to take him away, just like the one that he had seen kidnap Courtney mere hours ago.

"Ezekiel..."

"Oh, no! Don't try to butter me up now, girl! It's just like my father's always be telling me, eh! You can't trust girls! They always find a way to stab you in the back!"

"I had no choice! I want to get Geoff back!"

"And the rest of us are worth giving up? That's kinda selfish, eh!"

"Well, what else am I supposed to do?"

"I dunno! But something other than this!"

Ezekiel flipped open Bridgette's cell a third time, but this time he was going to use it to make a phone call.

"Wait a minute! Who are you calling?"

"I dunno! Somebody, anybody! I've gotta put a stop to this, eh!"

"You can't!" pleaded Bridgette. "If the kidnappers find out I contacted the RCMP, they swore I'd never see Geoff alive again!"

"How would they know?"

"Because you're using **MY** phone! I'm begging you, please! I... I don't know what I'd do if I lost Geoff."

Bridgette dropped to her knees, as she was getting desperate.

"If you care about me... about me at all... please, **PLEASE** don't call the RCMP!"

Ezekiel was debating whether or not to help Bridgette, as well as if he should continue to put his trust in her.

"On three conditions," Ezekiel finally relented. "One, you better tell me everything you know about these blokes, eh?"

Bridgette nodded.

"B, you promise not to let them take me to wherever they've taken the others and we rescue the rest of the gang. Okay?"

Bridgette was confused as to why Ezekiel had gone from '1' to 'B,' but again, she nodded in agreement.

"And three... after all this is over, you have to promise to go on **THREE** dates with me."

"Three? Why three? Couldn't it be just one?"

Ezekiel glared down at Bridgette.

"Okay, okay," she gave up, having no choice but to. "Three dates!"

"Yes!" Ezekiel pumped his fist excitedly. "I've got three dates with Bridgette!"

He started to circle Bridgette, dancing and skipping happily. Bridgette frowned as he waited for Ezekiel to get it all out of his system. And after a few circuits, he stopped and grew serious again, as he squatted down and stared into Bridgette's face.

"Alright. How 'bout starting with the kidnappers. Do you know who they are?"

Bridgette shook her head. "No. I've never met them in person. We've only communicated by phone and text!"

"What about their voices, eh?"

"I've only talked to one of them, but it's no one I'm familiar with!"

Ezekiel was getting unhappier by the second.

"Hey hey! The deal was that you told me everything!"

"But that's the problem! I... I really don't know anything. Except..."

"Except?"

"I might've gotten a good look at the one who took Cody at the diner last night. It was... it was..."

* * *

"**HEATHER!**"

Lindsay was standing in front of a giant animal cage, one of several located in a very dimly light warehouse, and leaning against it, with a miffed look on her face, was Heather. The rest of her did not look pleased, either, as her hair was a mess, and the sparkling golden dress she was wearing, which originally went down to her ankles, had been unevenly ripped off from the knees downward.

"What happened to you?" Lindsay asked. "Bad date?"

"Ugh!" Heather audibly grumbled. "If I have to tell that story to ONE more person, I'm going to strangle someone!"

Heather glared at one of the two ski-masked boys who had escorted Lindsay to that area and reached out to actually attempt to do so right there and then. But the young man wisely dodged Heather's grabby limbs and stepped away, tugging Lindsay towards a similar cage a few feet away that faced the one Heather was in.

"Open it, man! Open it!"

The second complied, unlocking the cage, and then moving to the side to let his companion toss Lindsay in. He immediately locked it again, and then the two high-tailed it out of there.

"If I ever get out of here!" Heather yelled. "**YOU'RE BOTH DEAD! YOU HEAR ME?**"

**To be continued...**


	9. Stop Looking at Me!

**24 in 24**  
**Story Written by Freedom Fighter**

Well, it had to happen... a chapter without Bridgette in it! After all, we have to find out how some of the others got captured, right? I guess we should start with the group that matters...

**Disclaimer:** The characters of the 'Total Drama' series belong to Fresh TV, Inc., Teletoon, and Cartoon Network, not me.

**-**  
**Chapter Nine - Stop Looking at Me! (03.21.11)**  
**-**

"If I ever get out of here!" Heather yelled. "**YOU'RE BOTH DEAD! YOU HEAR ME?**"

The sound of metal door slamming shut could be heard, and it immediately silenced Heather's shouting. The raven-haired Asian growled over her current predicament.

"I can't believe this is happening!" she continued to complain. "Is this how you treat someone who won a million dollars? Is it? **SOMEBODY GIVE ME AN ANSWER!**"

"**THE ONLY ANSWER YOU'LL GET IS MY FOOT UP YOUR SCRAWNY LITTLE BUTT IF YOU DON'T SHUT THE HELL UP!**"

LeShawna appeared against the bars in a third cage, to Heather's right.

"Bite me!" Heather said in response, who also stuck up her middle finger to add insult to injury.

"Oh! **OH!** Do **NOT** tell me you just gave me the finger!"

"I think I just did!"

"Oh yeah? You've got a death wish, don'tcha?"

"What's with all the noise?"

That question came from a fourth cage, this one across from LeShawna and to the left of Lindsay. It had been asked by Trent, who appeared along with Harold and Justin.

"You guys are here too?" gasped Lindsay.

"We're not the only ones," Trent replied, pointing further down the row.

Sure enough, Lindsay followed Trent's finger and saw that there were many more cages just like the ones they were all in. Soon after, many of the other captives made themselves known by pressing up against the bars in their cages. Owen and Duncan were in one together, Katie and Sadie were paired in another, and Eva had one all to herself.

"Wait!" Trent spoke up again. "Where's Gwen?"

"Present..." the aforementioned goth mumbled.

Gwen appeared to Heather's left, having been placed in the same cage as her mortal enemy. Gwen was gussied up like her rival as well, wearing a form-fitting, strapless, black-and-green accented dress that ended just below her knees. But her outfit was in much better condition, with the only notable discrepancy being a sizable tear on the left side of her stomach, where her pale white skin was visible because of it.

"Can someone please explain what's going on?" asked Lindsay. "Why are we all here?"

"Not sure about the why, honey," replied LeShawna, "but we can tell you the how!"

"Fine!" relented Heather. "But I'm not telling it this time!"

"Ooh, ooh!" Owen shouted, waving his tuxedo-clad arms all about. "Can I tell it? Can I? Can I?"

"Go ahead, big guy!" Duncan told him, also decked out in a tuxedo. "Fire away."

"Okay, okay... it all happened as if it was just yesterday..."

"It was last night!" Heather growled in reminder.

* * *

Heather was standing in front of dilapidated mansion sitting on top of a hill overlooking the city. A banner had been tied to the pillars holding up the roof of the house's porch. It read 'Total Drama Champions Charity Dinner.'

She was beginning to think this was a joke. Or worse. The siding was jutting in several places. The small set of stairs connecting the sidewalk to the porch had no railing. A couple windows were missing their shutters, and one glass pane had several visible cracks in it. Plus, the grass looked as if it hadn't been mowed in a few months.

"This place is a dump!" Heather angrily concluded.

"That's what I said!" she heard someone agree with her.

Heather glanced over to her left and saw Owen sit up in the tall grass. He slowly got to his feet and made his way over to the Asian girl, who was tapping her foot with impatience.

"Did you know about this?" Heather asked him, determined to get to the point fast.

"Great Scott, no!" Owen shouted. "I was expecting a red carpet. Y'know, like the one at that award ceremony we went to that one time..."

Heather huffed and puffed as she paced back and forth, trying to figure out what was going on. But before she could come to her own conclusion, the third member of the 'winners club' finally showed up.

"You keep glarin' like that, and your face'll stick that way!"

"Duncan," grumbled Heather, "I was wondering when you were going to show your ugly mug."

"Hey!" a girl shouted at her. "Watch what you say about **MY** boyfriend!"

Gwen stepped out from behind Duncan, and just like that, she and Heather, the old rivals, got into an impromptu staring contest.

"Gwen."

"Heather."

"What are you doing here, loser?" taunted Heather. "Winners only!"

"You were all allowed to bring one guest!" replied Gwen. "I'm Duncan's plus one!"

"You look more like a plus three," Heather teased, as she pointed to a slight bulge around Gwen's stomach.

Gwen was about to tear Heather limb from limb right there, but Duncan stepped in to stop her.

"As much as I'd loved to see a catfight in which clothes get salaciously ripped off, I didn't spend 150 bones renting out this tux just to not wear it out! So knock it off!"

"Aw," cooed Heather. "Now little Gwenny needs her tough, punk boyfriend to fight her battles?"

"At least I **HAVE** a boyfriend!" Gwen shot back, with a smirk on her face. "I seem to remember a certain someone having a crush on a certain **OTHER** someone. Oh, yes! Alejandro!"

"Ew, ew, ew! Don't you **DARE** mention his name around me!"

"Why? Afraid he'll show up tonight, back from the operating table to ask for your hand in forgiveness?"

"Alright, enough!" Duncan butted in again. "Can we agree to not talk about Mister Latin Hot Pants the Jack-Ass? The guy still creases me! What was his deal, anyway?"

"I second that," Owen spoke up, reminding them that he was there with them. "Al's one guy I don't wanna have to think about. Can we just do this charity thing and get our grub on?"

"Owen's right," Heather agreed. "Let's get this over with so I don't have to keep staring at Gwen's ugly dress!"

"Says the girl wearing a genuine 'Look at Me,'" Gwen shot back. "2005 called... they want their garish Crappy Barn dress back!"

"You know what? For that, you can... go first!"

Heather motioned towards the front door, and for the first time, Gwen got a good look at the facade of the shoddily-kept mansion's face. She gulped, then slowly made her way to the porch. She gingerly stepped onto it, fearful that it might collapsed under her own weight. Once both feet were up and she didn't feel the wood buckling underneath her, she took the last few steps to the door, reached for the knob, and turned it.

The door creaked open, and Gwen took a peek inside. Upon seeing her do so, Duncan and Owen moved to join her. Heather waited for a few seconds before finally following as well.

"Hello?" Gwen called out as she finally took a step over the threshold and into the mansion. "The guests of honor are here!"

Gwen looked around, expecting to see someone there to greet them. But all she could see was a dimly-lit corridor, illuminated only by white-colored Christmas lights hanging on the walls on either side of her.

Owen and Duncan joined her seconds later, and they also took stock of the scene.

"Whoa!" Owen gasped. "I didn't know it was Christmas already!"

"It isn't!" Duncan told him. "It's not even close to the fake July one yet!"

"I have a very **BAD** feeling about this," Gwen morbidly predicted.

But despite that, the trio continued moving forward, deeper into the house.

"Wait for me!" Heather cried out behind them.

Heather had just passed over the threshold, and the door slammed shut almost instantaneously. If she had been a millisecond slower, it would have gotten her foot... or worse.

But she was not completely out of the woods, as she quickly realized that the bottom of her dress had gotten caught in the door jamb.

"What the... I'm stuck! **HEY!**"

Duncan, Gwen, and Owen all stopped and turned around to see Heather struggling to free herself.

"The dress is working," Duncan smugly smiled. "It's a 'Look at Me,' and we're all looking at her!"

"Good one!" complimented Gwen.

She raised her hand in the air, intending to high-five her boyfriend. Duncan obliged and lifted his up as well, but as Gwen leaned forward to meet him, she felt her dress snag onto something, just to the left of her belly button. But by then it was already too late, as she could already hear the fabric of dress tearing.

"**GAH!**" Gwen screamed, forgetting about the high-five and looking down at the new five-inch hole in her dress.

"Well," smirked Duncan. "If you're so insistent of getting out of that dress after all...

"Not funny! This is brand new! I just bought it last week!"

"I think we've got a bigger problem," interrupted Owen as he was now standing within arm's reach of a wall. "I think this mansion's only got one room."

But that wasn't all he noticed, as he saw two small protrusions sticking out of said wall. He closed one eye and peeked through one of them with his other eye.

"Is this some mini-telescope or something?"

Suddenly, pink smoke shot out of it, blinding Owen instantly. In fact, it was shooting out of both of them. To make matters worse, another pair of protrusions appeared near Heather, and they too started to spew the pink smoke.

"**A GAS CHAMBER?**" Duncan yelled. "That's weak! They couldn't find an electric chair for me?"

Gwen was going to offer a sarcastic rebuttal, but she was already coughing as she had inhaled some of the gas.

"**AAAAHHHH!**" Heather screamed as she tugged even harder at her dress while simultaneously slamming her shoulder against the door, trying to force it open. "I don't want to die! I don't want to die!"

But she could already see both Owen and Gwen succumbing to the gas as they both fell to the ground. Duncan was already down on his knees, trying to crawl to the door and try and help Heather bust it down.

"Try... cough... the knob!" ordered Duncan.

"Cough... you don't... cough cough... think I'm... cough... trying?" Heather shouted back, as she tried to turn the knob.

But the door would not budge, and Heather could already feel herself getting woozy and losing consciousness. She fell to the floor, lying right against the door as she saw Duncan's arms give out as he, too, collapsed.

* * *

Back in the present...

"Wow," gasped Lindsay. "So... you all died?"

Heather facepalmed as Gwen explained it to her.

"We're right here, Lindsay! How can we be dead?"

"Oh," nodded Lindsay, understanding. "I see. So, because I'm seeing you all, that must mean I'm dead too! We're all dead!"

Gwen was in such disbelief after that patented Lindsay deduction that she took Heather's other hand and buried her face in that palm. But upon feeling Gwen's skin touching hers, Heather instantly pulled away.

"If she wants to be dead," Duncan mumbled as he clenched his fists.

"Shhh!" Owen shushed him.

"What?"

"Someone's coming!"

Everyone looked towards the same entrance where their captors had brought Lindsay in, and they all noted another familiar face coming towards them.

"I know you!" Harold exclaimed. "You're... **YOU'RE...**"

**To be continued...**


	10. Never in That Way

**24 in 24**  
**Story Written by Freedom Fighter**

More back story, but probably not the one you were expecting. Bridgette returns this week, but not live. We'll be getting back to her and Ezekiel (and maybe Noah?) at the park next chapter.

**Disclaimer:** The characters of the 'Total Drama' series belong to Fresh TV, Inc., Teletoon, and Cartoon Network, not me.

**-**  
**Chapter Ten - Never in That Way (03.28.11)**  
**-**

A young man was walking towards the area where all the cast members were being held. He was dressed in all black, but with one exception... which the blonde-haired twenty-something did not seem to notice quite yet.

"I know you!" Harold exclaimed, recognizing him. "You're... **YOU'RE...**"

"You're one of Chris' interns!" Trent shouted.

The intern stopped his approach, then coughed nervously as he tried to change his voice.

"I have no idea what you're talking about!"

"Dude, seriously?" Duncan looked oddly at him.

"You **DO** realize you're not wearing your ski mask, right?" Gwen asked, pointing out the obvious.

He reached up to his head and felt around for felt... but all he could feel was his own skin. He quickly covered up his face...

"**DON'T LOOK AT ME!**"

And then he turned around and headed out the way he came.

"Should've known Chris was behind this!" growled Heather.

"Figures!" LeShawna rolled her eyes. "He just keeps dragging us back in whenever he damn pleases!"

"But this doesn't make any sense!" Trent reasoned. "Most of us have been here since last night! And he's only capturing us a few at a time, instead of all at once!"

"Maybe he's having trouble figuring out who he wants to rope into a fourth season," Harold thought out loud.

"I'm with Trent," Gwen agreed, surprisingly.

Everyone turned to look at her, some with very focused confused stares - especially from Duncan, Heather, and Trent himself.

"What? It's a good theory!"

"Pfft," Duncan scoffed. "'It's a good theory,' she says."

"Figures why Bridgette stopped talking to you, you flip-flopper!" Heather said with a smirk.

Gwen gasped. "How did you..."

"Don't look at me!" LeShawna and Trent both said simultaneously, before turning towards at each other and adding, "You know?"

"No," Heather smiled. "But something tells me I'm on the right track..."

"Ugh! I don't want to deal with this right now! Weren't we just talking about Chris?"

"We were! But now, we're talking about you!"

"Heather," Trent half-pleaded. "Don't do this!"

"Do it!" Duncan chuckled. "She never told me why she and Surfer Girl are on the outs. Besides, this should be more interesting then hearing everyone's story for the umpteenth time today."

"Oh, thanks a lot, Duncan!" Gwen quipped sarcastically.

"C'mon, Gwen!" Heather looked at her. "Inquiring minds want to know!"

"I don't!" Lindsay happily interrupted. "I wanna hear how everyone got here!"

"The Drama Brothers, minus Cody, plus temporary bodyguard Eva, were kidnapped by a guy claiming to be their limo driver after they departed their book singing. LeShawna got snatched when she was trying to get into her car. As for Katie and Sadie... who cares?"

"Hey!" Katie and Sadie protested, but to no avail.

"Okay, Gwen... the floor is yours."

"Thanks," Gwen growled at Heather. "Anyway, if you guys really wanna know, then I guess I'd better go back a few days..."

* * *

Gwen was stunned as she took in her surroundings. Ahead of her, she saw Bridgette heading for the back of the store, passing by racks and racks of colorful printed books, with an assortment of characters on the covers ranging from muscled superheroes to cupcake-cute school girls to anthropomorphic animals snuggling with each other to a giant eyeball licking his master with his tongue, and everything else imaginable... and then some.

"I'm... I'm in a..."

* * *

"Ha ha ha ha ha!" Duncan interrupted, laughing uncontrollably. "I never would've guessed you're into comics!"

"You're a comic book geek?" Heather raised an eyebrow at Gwen. "And Bridgette too? Don't you have standards?"

"There's nothing wrong with girls liking comics!" Harold stood up for Gwen and Bridgette. "In fact, there's been a serious push in the industry to attract a female demographic as of late..."

"I'm not a comic book geek!" shouted Gwen. "And neither is Bridgette, which you all would **LEARN** if you let me finish!"

* * *

"I thought I'd never step foot in a comics shop," Gwen said aloud.

She walked over to the closest rack and started scanning the many choices before her.

"Seriously, only two types of people read comics. Kids under ten, and grown men who live in their parents' basement."

But then something caught her eye. It had two teenagers on the cover... two very familiar to her.

"That looks like... Owen! And... and... me? Only... not me?"

Gwen picked the comic up. It was titled "Drama, Totally!," and on the cover indeed were her and Owen. Though their designs were not exactly accurate... Owen's hair was red, his shirt was a light brown, and his shorts were all white, while Gwen... Gwen was...

"Why am I a guy? And where are my... my..."

As expected with an aesthetic sex change, the Gwen on the cover had no boobs. And the skirt had been extended into a pair of black jeans.

"Is this some kind of sick joke?" Gwen asked herself as she opened the comic and started flipping through it.

Gwen did not bother to read the story, instead settling for getting to the last couple pages to see how it ends. But when she saw it, she gagged in repulsion.

"Eew! 'Owen' kisses me at the end? The guy 'me?' Gross!"

"I concur, my gothy goddess..."

Gwen looked to her right and saw an overweight man with glasses who was sweating through his dress shirt standing right behind her.

"...I do think it would've been better if he was making out with you and your boom-boom-bum!"

Gwen saw that he had an eye staring down her top, and instantly reacted by rolling the comic up and using it to smack the guy in the face with it.

"Perv!"

Gwen then quickly ran off, desperate to find Bridgette and get out of the store as fast as possible. That did not take her long, as she found Bridgette cradling three comic books in her arms and on her way to the cash register.

"Bridge, we need to get out of here!"

"Oops," Bridgette apologized, seeing the shaken look on her friend's face, "I guess I should've told you not to interact with the other customers. Yeah... some of them haven't seen a live female other than their Moms since high school."

"Well, okay, there's that oversight... and then there's **THIS**!"

Gwen showed Bridgette the comic book. Bridgette snickered.

"That piece of trash? I flipped through an issue of that once. Let me tell ya... I'm pretty sure even Izzy can write something better than that jumbled piece of seagull crap."

Bridgette resumed heading for the front of the store, but Gwen continued to stress about the comic.

"But in this... I'm a guy! And I kiss Owen! **OWEN!**"

Bridgette stopped for a minute to think, and then gave a response, while looking down at the comics she had in hand.

"Now that I think of it... you'd make a pretty hot guy!"

* * *

Gwen looked at her fellow captives and waited for them to respond. But all she got were a plethora of confused looks.

"Then what?" Trent asked.

"Yeah," added Lindsay. "I don't get it."

"What happens next?" asked Harold.

"Next?" Gwen looked oddly. "That... that's it. That's the story."

Again, more confusion. Then, finally, a genuine reaction.

"You and Surfer Girl are fighting because she **THINKS** you'd be hotter as a guy than you are now?" shouted Heather.

"**YES!**"

Silence.

"Girl," LeShawna spoke up after about a minute, "I say this as a friend, but you and Bridgette? Well... **YOU TWO CRAZY!**"

"Gwen as a boy," Owen smiled as he relaxed and tried to imagine what that would look. "Mmmmm..."

"Hey, **HEY!**" Duncan exclaimed, trying to snap Owen out of his dream state. "Now you got me doing it... only in my head, he's **NAKED**!"

Everyone turned to look at Duncan, with odd looks on their faces.

"I... said that out loud, didn't I?"

Thankfully for Duncan, the metal door leading into the area creaked open, and two new captives, at least to most of them, made their arrival shouting loudly.

"Hey! Watch the fingers, man! They're my babies!"

"Tyler?" Lindsay gasped, with both happiness and relief to the first screamer.

"I swear, I'll hire every lawyer on the face of Earth and sue your asses all the way to Mars!"

"And Courtney," grumbled Gwen. "Can we get a girl in here that **DOESN'T** hate my guts right now?"

They were being guided to the prison area by two men, one of them taller than the other. Tyler was given a new cage all to himself, while Courtney was thrown into the one Lindsay was in. The two men then headed back out without saying a word.

"Dude," Tyler said as he saw all of his friends around him. "What are you all of you doing here?"

"Gosh!" realized Courtney as she noticed how many of them were there. "There **IS** someone targeting all of us!"

"No duh, Sherlock!" chided Heather. "Where have you been?"

"Someone knocked me out using a baseball bat! I was out for a couple hours before those jokers woke me up."

Courtney groaned as she reached up and rubbed a small, but not readily visible, bump on the back of her head.

"All of us," Tyler shouted, trying to count how many of them there were with his fingers and toes, as he had slipped off his socks and shoes when nobody was looking, "plus Geoff **AND** Cody. That's almost everyone!"

"Did you say Geoff and Cody are here too?" Trent asked for clarification.

"Yeah," uttered Courtney. "They were the first two people Bridgette told me were captured."

"Bridgette knows about all this?" queried Gwen. "But how?"

"Make with the answers!" demanded Harold.

"Hold your horses," Courtney winced in pain. "Nice to see you all care about me. Or Geoff and Cody."

"Not that I care at this particular moment," prefaced Duncan, "but where exactly **ARE** they?"

* * *

A door opened into the a small, interior room. Both Geoff and Cody were bound to wooden chairs and had their mouths gagged with handkerchiefs. The person who had entered flicked on the lights, and then made her way over to Cody, who started fidgeting in a panic. Seeing this, she sought to calm down.

"Shhh... don't worry, Cody-kins! It's just me!"

The female kidnapper took off her ski mask, but that only made Cody freak out even more... because under the mask was Sierra!

"You have to be quiet!" Sierra said, trying to shush him.

For some reason, Cody complied with the request. Nearby, Geoff saw Sierra's face as well, but he decided to stay quiet to see what she was up to.

"Listen, sweetie. I'm almost done. They told me that if I want to walk out of here with you, I have to help them capture the other cast members! But I'm not gonna wait 'til then! I'm gonna find some way to bust you out of here!"

"Mmph?" Cody mumbled something undecipherable.

"I need to wait for the right moment. But after I bring in Bridgette... I'm staging a jailbreak!"

Sierra kissed Cody on the cheek, then put her mask back on. Geoff and Cody glanced at each other, frightened and confused, of what Sierra had just said, as she turned off the lights and exited, closing the door behind her.

**To be continued...**


	11. Humina Humina Humina Humina

**24 in 24**  
**Story Written by Freedom Fighter**

Let's see... goals for Chapter 11:  
1) Lots and lots of Bridgette after her only playing a main role in one of the previous four chapters.  
2) Inserting a sequence befitting of the story's PG-13/T rating.

Check and check. Here's this week's installment!

**Disclaimer:** The characters of the 'Total Drama' series belong to Fresh TV, Inc., Teletoon, and Cartoon Network, not me.

**-**  
**Chapter Eleven - Humina Humina Humina Humina (04.04.11)**  
**-**

Back at High Park, Bridgette was now back at the picnic table, sitting there with her chin resting on the palms of her hands, as she observed Ezekiel chatting on Bridgette's cell. He was just far enough away that he was out of Bridgette's hearing range, so even though she knew whom Ezekiel was talking to, she did not know what he was talking about.

A few seconds later, Ezekiel hung up and started walking back to Bridgette.

"So?"

"Don't worry, eh! I didn't tell Noah nothing!"

Bridgette breathed a sigh of relief. Ezekiel continued.

"Noah's still at Courtney's place. Her parents just showed up, and boy, they were off the chain! Noah says he can't get down here yet because the Mounties refuse to let him go! He suspects that they think he's holding back!"

"About all the kidnappings, right?"

Ezekiel nodded. "He doesn't know how much longer he can go on without saying anything!"

"What did you say?"

"I told him to hold off, eh! Wait 'til we get back before we spill it!"

Bridgette got up from the bench and let out another sigh, this one full of anguish and defeat.

"I guess I have no choice. I... I'm gonna have to come clean with the RCMP!"

"You are?"

"Yeah. But... but... what about Geoff? If I spill the beans and these crooks find out... I'll... I'll... I'll never see him again!"

Ezekiel came around to Bridgette's side of the table and put a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Sacrifices must be made, eh! Besides, once Geoff's gone, then that opens for the door for you and me!"

Bridgette reached up and smacked Ezekiel's hand off with her own, then turned around to shout angrily at him.

"**HOW CAN YOU SAY THAT?**"

Ezekiel gulped. Perhaps he had thought a bit too far ahead too soon.

"Geoff's not gone yet! We're going to find a way to save him! And everyone else! I'll make sure of it!"

"But..."

"No buts, Ezekiel! We're gonna save all of them! Every last one of them! Even if we have to get the RCMP involved!"

"But..."

"But **WHAT**, Ezekiel? **WHAT?**"

Bridgette was now towering over Ezekiel, who was now squatting down and shaking timidly with fear thanks to her frighteningly booming voice.

"Uh... I was going to say that we don't know where these blokes are keeping them all, eh! How do we find them?"

Bridgette recognized that Ezekiel had brought up a valid point, and her anger subsided as she attempted to figure out an answer.

* * *

Over at one of the park's many entrances, a non-descript white van had pulled over to the curb. Inside, Sierra took a deep breath, then a second, as she tried to psych herself up for her next capture.

"Alright," she said, "I'm ready!"

In her left hand was her black ski mask, which she was about to put on. But before she could do that, the van's driver reached over with his hand and stopped her.

"No. You don't need it this time."

Sierra, confused, turned to look at the driver, who happened to be wearing his mask already.

"Trust me," he told her. "You don't need it."

"But... what happens if I fail?"

He took the mask from Sierra and tosses it into the back, which is completely bare except for a ten-foot size coil of rope.

"Don't."

With that cryptic warning, Sierra slowly opened the door of the van and stepped out. She turned around and closed the door behind her, then became nervous when she did not see him move from his seat.

"Wait a minute! You're not coming?"

"As much as I'd love to see a good catfight, you-know-who is sending me to go pick up a little 'package' from the airport."

"What kind of... package?"

"Dunno. Something bulky and non-human. Look! You have your job, and I have mine! I'll be back in half an hour! I don't care how you do it, but when I return, you'd better be here with Bridgette, no matter what you have to do to get it done!"

With that, the male adult slammed on the gas and pulled away from the curb, as Sierra's senses were assaulted by the tires of the van screeching and the resulting smoke being blown in her face because of it. Sierra coughed as she waved her hand in front of her to clear the air.

"Sheesh! What crawled up his butt and died?"

She turned around again and headed into the park.

"Now," Sierra thought aloud, as she tapped her chin with her finger, "how do I pull this off without looking the least bit suspicious?"

Sierra glanced around and saw plenty of trees, bushes, blades of grass, and dandelions.

"Hmmm..."

* * *

"There's gotta be some way to find out..."

Bridgette and Ezekiel had swapped places, with the latter sitting at the picnic bench and the former now doing the pacing.

"All we need is a sign," Bridgette thought out loud wishfully. "Any kind of sign!"

The two of them then heard a beeping sound, one similar to that of an alarm clock. They quickly both realized that it was coming from Bridgette's cell phone, which Ezekiel was still holding.

"It's tweleve thirty, eh!" exclaimed Ezekiel, as he saw the flashing time display.

"Already?"

Bridgette scanned her surroundings, looking at all of the other people in the park around them. After a few seconds, she stopped, as did the ringing sound from her phone.

"I don't believe this! Nobody came!"

"You think they got everyone else but us now?" asked Ezekiel.

"But how could that be? You saw the text message! There were seven left! I don't see how that could've changed in less than fifteen minutes!"

Ezekiel stood up.

"I think it's time to assume the worst! We're done for!"

"Don't say that! Maybe... maybe we should give them a few minutes!"

"And risk getting nabbed out here in the open? Nuh uh!"

Ezekiel started walking off, heading back in the direction at which they had entered the park. Bridgette chased after him.

"But we... and by we, I mean you, me, and Noah... we can't do this alone! We have to wait in case somebody... anybody... shows up!"

"You're just saying that so you can watch them get me!"

"No, I'm not!"

"Ya huh, you are! You probably called them when I wasn't looking!"

"How did I do that? You still have my phone, remember?"

Ezekiel looked down at Bridgette's cell, which was in his left hand. He shrugged his shoulders, then stuffed it into his pants pocket, to Bridgette's dismay.

"Hey! You can't do that! That's **MY** phone!"

"Not as long as I'm in danger of gettin' bopped!"

With that, Ezekiel dropped down on all fours and ran off as if he was a deer. Bridgette ran after him, but it did not take long for him to lose her.

Upon giving up, Bridgette gasped for air, leaning forward and placing her hands on her knees. But as she was catching her breath, someone was in the midst of sneaking up behind her.

"I never knew he was that fast on four legs!" Bridgette commented aloud.

As she scratched her head, her would-be assailant crept ever closer, and closer, and closer...

And then, the attacker made her move, leaping out and right at Bridgette, who turned around just in time to see...

* * *

Looking back and seeing that Bridgette was no longer following him, Ezekiel's four-legged sprint came to an end as he stopped and then stood back on two legs, like a human.

"The girl's lost it!" Ezekiel told himself. "I don't care how much I want her... it's not worth it the way she is now!"

He flipped the phone up and attempted to navigate through the menu to find Noah's number.

"Gotta tell Noah everything, eh!"

Given he had made Bridgette dial Noah's number earlier without even thinking of watching her while she did so, he was just randomly pressing buttons and hoping to get to the right place. But he ended up in her photo gallery instead.

And the first photo he saw in there made his face turn red. Beet red.

"Humina humina humina humina..."

On the screen was picture of Bridgette lying on the beach on her side, facing the camera. As Bridgette winked suggestively towards the photo taker, Ezekiel noticed that the only thing Bridgette had on was a pair of white form-fitting lycra shorts, and those happened to be slightly lower down from her hip than they would normally be. Not enough to risk showing something she would regret, but just enough to tease the viewer. As for a lack of a top, Bridgette had placed her right arm perpendicular to the ground, in such a way that it covered up enough of her breasts to avoid the photo being obscene. And all while wagging her right index finger at the camera, urging the photo taker to come in for a closer look.

But that one picture was more than enough to stun Ezekiel into staring it for ten seconds... then twenty, thirty, forty...

After about a minute, he began to move ever so slightly, as he started to lower his free hand down to his side, then his stomach, then his waist, then for the button on his jeans...

"**DUUUUUUUDE!**"

Ezekiel nearly jumped out of his skin, as the sound of Geoff's voice shouting at him scared him back to reality.

"Phone call!" Geoff's voice shouted. "Pick it up! Phone call! Pick it up!"

The voice was coming from Bridgette's cell, which Ezekiel had dropped in his panic. Ezekiel seemed angered by Geoff's voice, but he picked up the phone off the ground and pressed the answer button, even though inside he wanted to smash the phone for interrupting his 'dream time.'

"Hello?" he answered, still entertaining thoughts of smashing the phone as he did. "Who is this, eh?"

"Who am I?" replied the caller, in a gender-indistinguishable voice. "Who are you? I wanna talk to Bridgette!"

"Anything you have to say to Bridgette, eh, you have to say to me! We're partners now!"

"Really now? Well, I suggest you get her on the phone right now, **OR ELSE!**"

"Feh!" Ezekiel scoffed. "Whatever, man! The Zeke is not taking orders from you!"

"Okay then... I didn't want to do this."

Ezekiel then heard the caller begin walking, with the person's shoes clacking against the floor with every step. Suddenly, Ezekiel heard another person's voice become increasingly audible.

"Don't do it, man! Don't do it!"

The male kept repeating those three words over and over, and it did not take long for Ezekiel to recognize they were coming from Geoff. After all, his voice was still fresh in Ezekiel's mind thanks to that senseless general ringtone of his on Bridgette's phone.

Then, the caller spoke up again.

"Why don't you tell your friend what I'm about to do to you?"

A brief pause, and then Geoff gave his response.

"I don't know who this is, but... they're gonna cut off my ear, man!"

Suddenly, the sound of a circular power saw being turned on filled Ezekiel's ears, followed by Geoff's cries of anguish.

"No! No! **NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!**"

"Last chance!" the caller cut in once again. "Put Surfer Girl on the phone now, or her boy toy becomes a modern-day Van Gogh!"

Ezekiel gulped, now forced to make a quick decision...

**To be continued...**


	12. Bridgette's Discovery

**24 in 24**  
**Story Written by Freedom Fighter**

Plot-moving chapter ahoy, if you didn't guess from this chapter's title. And for those you missing Noah... he'll be back in the flesh next chapter! Promise!

**Disclaimer:** The characters of the 'Total Drama' series belong to Fresh TV, Inc., Teletoon, and Cartoon Network, not me.

**-**  
**Chapter Twelve - Bridgette's Discovery (04.11.11)**  
**-**

Bridgette had been knocked to the ground and was being assaulted by something red... wet... and coming out of a mouth?

She was on the receiving end of a lick-happy shih tzu puppy.

"Ah! Down, boy! Down!"

Bridgette managed to pull herself up to a sitting position, gently grabbing a hold of the pup and holding him in front of him.

"Well, aren't you cute?" she cooed. "Where did you come from? You must know it's not nice to sneak up on people like that, you little cute rascal, you."

"Ko!" a young girl's voice shouted from afar. "Ko, where are you?"

Bridgette placed the puppy down on the ground, then got to her feet. The dog barked cutely before turning about and running toward the voice of the girl that had just called out his name. As Bridgette watched the little dog run off, she had not noticed a second figure lurking nearby.

It was Sierra, and she was attempting to sneak up on Bridgette from behind, dressed in an assortment of local greenery she had hastily weaved into a camouflage suit.

"Okay, Sierra," she told herself, "you can do this! Bridgette's... not that strong. You can knock her out, no sweat!"

Sierra tiptoed closer, as Bridgette kept her eyes fixated on the puppy running away from her.

"**OH!**" Bridgette suddenly remembered. "My phone!"

Bridgette made a complete one-eighty, and upon seeing this, Sierra quickly hunched down and froze in place, trying to take the appearance of a bush. But she had chosen to do so right in the middle of the path.

And Bridgette was smart enough to realize it was out of place.

"Where did that come from?" she asked herself aloud. "I **SWEAR** that wasn't there a minute ago!"

Sierra did her best to remain still, hoping that Bridgette's suspicions would stop there. But there was no hope of that when Bridgette saw tufts of violet hair sticking out in the bush.

She then began to snicker at the laughable site before her.

"Okay, I know we're in danger... but that? That's a bit... heh heh... much."

"You mean you actually **SEE** me?" gasped Sierra.

"Well, walking plants aren't exactly something that I see every day."

Sierra stood up, and now her figure was visible within the makeshift camouflage suit, which was made up of leaves and weeds. Seeing that her cover was blown, Sierra reluctantly shed the outfit by shaking her body hard. She shaked and shimmied hard enough that it fell off of her and to the ground. She then stepped out of it as if she had just come out of a potato sack.

"Say," Bridgette thought out loud, noticing something not right with Sierra, "there's something funny going on here!"

"Don't be silly!" Sierra blew Bridgette's suggestion off. "Funny? Nonsense!"

"Have... have you always worn a black top?"

Bridgette was referring to the long-sleeve black shirt Sierra was wearing at the moment, an article of clothing Bridgette could not seem to remember Sierra ever wearing before.

"Well, it is spring!"

Sierra then crossed her arms over her chest and started rubbing her arms from the elbow up.

"Brrrrr! Not quite warm enough for a tank top, y'know!"

Looking to take the heat off of her, Sierra returned the hint of suspicion.

"Say... what about that sweater vest you're wearing?"

"This?" Bridgette pointed at it casually.

"The only person who wears those is Noah! So does that mean..."

Sierra thought for a minute, then gasped with glee. Bridgette saw the look in her eyes and immediately panicked, instantly deducing what conclusion Sierra had drawn.

"You and Noah are **DATING**?"

"**WHAT? NO!**"

"You've become... **NOETTE!**"

Before Bridgette could explain herself, Sierra ran over and hugged her gleefully in celebration.

"Fanon has become canon!" proclaimed Sierra.

"Fanon?" Bridgette asked quizzically. "What does **THAT** mean?"

Sierra released her grip on Bridgette, but she was still smiling from ear to ear.

"I'll explain it over lunch, once **YOU** explain how you two hit it off!"

"But I'm telling you, Noah and I are not an item!"

Sierra shook her head. "Denying just like a celebrity would. Boy, you are good!"

"I'm denying 'cause I'm telling the truth! What part of that don't you understand, Sierra?"

"I dunno... it's not like you record of flirtation is clean. The world saw what transpired between you two in the Yukon!"

As Bridgette launched into a detail explanation of her disbelief of why everyone thinks she and Noah are a couple, the gears in Sierra's head started to turn as she was reminded of what she had came here to do.

"It wasn't planned," she thought, "but I got Bridgette distracted! Now I just gotta knock her out. I don't want to... but I have to! It's to save Cody!"

Sierra clenched her right fist and reared her arm back, preparing to make her move. But then a monkey wrench appeared to screw up her plan.

A wrench named Ezekiel.

"Bridge!" Ezekiel shouted, as he held up her cell. "There's a call for you, eh!"

But she had not heard him. He had to get closer.

"Man," he thought to himself, "can't believe I'm saving her boy to get in her good graces so she'll go out with me."

Ezekiel then noticed Sierra for the first time, and a whiff of her scent was in the air. He inhaled it, and suddenly, he came to a realization.

"Hey, yo, it was you!"

Ezekiel charged at Sierra and tackled her to the ground, somehow managing to toss Bridgette's phone back into her surprised waiting hands just prior to doing so.

"You did it!"

"Get off me!"

"It was you!"

"Get off me!"

"I could smell you from a mile away!"

"What? Them's fighting words!"

Ezekiel and Sierra were tumbling on top of each other in the grass. One second, Ezekiel would be on top, then Sierra would be. Back and forth they went, as Bridgette watched with stunned silence.

Then, her phone rang, and she walked away from the fight.

"Uh... hello?"

"**YOU HUNG UP ON ME! THAT'S IT... GEOFFY LOSES AN EAR!**"

"Wait, **WHAT?**"

Bridgette heard a circular power saw in the background, followed quickly by screams from Geoff.

"Please!" she pleaded. "Don't do this! **I BEG YOU!**"

Bridgette anxiously waited for a response, with the sounds of Geoff and the saw continuing in the background. Then, suddenly, she couldn't hear the saw anymore. Just...

"**...THE LOVE OF GOD, I'LL DO ANYTHING! ANYTHING!**"

"Geoff!" Bridgette shouted into her cell. "Geoff, are you okay?"

"Oh, he's fine," the caller told her. "His hat, though... has seen better days."

"What was that about my hat?" Geoff asked in the background.

"Get him out of here!"

"Did you do something to my hat? Tell me! **TELL ME!**"

Geoff continued to shout as Bridgette heard his voice eventually fade into the distance.

"Now," the caller spoke up again, "you tell your friend The Freak Show that if anyone answers your cell other than you, there **WILL** be no mercy! Good luck nibbling on your schmoopy-boo's ears when he doesn't have any!"

"Please!" Bridgette pleaded, no, begged. "I've done everything, and I do mean **EVERYTHING** that you've asked me to! Don't take it out on Zeke... he... he..."

"He?"

Bridgette sighed.

"I... kinda told him everything."

"Well... we'll have to rectify that little mistake, won't we? Or should I say you'll have to."

"What... what do you mean?"

"I want you to bring him in. Actually, him, Noah, and... let's say... Sierra."

"Sierra?"

Bridgette lowered her phone from her ear and turned to her right, where she was reminded of the impromptu wrestling match that Sierra and Ezekiel were engaged in as they rolled around in the grass.

"Boy power!" she heard Ezekiel shout.

"**OW!**" screeched Sierra. "Did you just **BITE** me in the ear?"

"**ACK!** That's not supposed to bend that way, eh!"

Bridgette brought her cell back up to her ear.

"Oh... you want Sierra too?"

"All three of them! Bring all three of them in and... I'll let you have your boyfriend back."

"You're telling me that if I let you take them... you'll give me back Geoff?"

"That's the deal, blondie! 100 Scarlett Road, one hour from now. Gimme what I want, on time, or you'll never see Geoff alive again!"

"Yes," Bridgette reluctantly agreed. "I won't disappoint you!"

With that, the caller hung up. Bridgette pocketed her cell and placed her full focus on the struggle between Ezekiel and Sierra, which was starting to attract attention from other park patrons. She ran over to break them up.

"**STOP!**" she yelled.

The two immediately stopped, with Ezekiel having a hold on Sierra's left arm, ready to bite down on it, while Sierra had Ezekiel in the makings of a sleeper hold, with her right arm almost completely wrapped his neck.

"What's going on here?" Bridgette asked them. "You guys are making a scene?"

"She started it, yo!" Ezekiel exclaimed, quickly pointing the finger at Sierra.

"What? I clearly remember being jumped by you, Raggedy Andy!"

"She's the one who nabbed Courtney!"

Bridgette gasped. "It was **YOU**?"

"Yeah," Sierra readily admitted. "But I have a good reason..."

"Oh ho **HO**! I'd sure like to hear this one!"

Sierra saw the angry look on Bridgette's face, as she stood there with her hands on her hips.

"Okay... but not here."

"Why not?"

Sierra pointed out the ever-growing crowd of about a dozen people now around them.

"It's okay!" Sierra shouted to the crowd. "Just reuniting with an old friend! We're very physical with each other... it's a custom from where we're from!"

The crowd murmured amongst each other, debating if such a custom was true. Bridgette, Ezekiel, and Sierra used the opportunity to sneak off to a quieter place...

* * *

The trio moved to a different part of the park, to an area that had very little foot traffic going through it. Bridgette came to a stop and turned around to face Sierra, whose arms were being held behind her back by a snarling Ezekiel.

Bridgette nodded, and Ezekiel released his grip on Sierra.

"Sheesh!" grumbled Sierra as she rubbed her wrists. "Did ya **HAVE** to clench that tightly?"

"Alright," Bridgette stomped up to her. "Talk! Are you working with the kidnappers?"

"Yes. But... but it's not that simple!"

"Not that simple? I'm sure Courtney would love to hear that after you bonked her on the head with a baseball bat!"

"But I had to do it! It was the only way I was going to get her out of the house!"

"You don't have to do anything! That's assault, Sierra!"

"But I'm telling you... I have good reason!"

"And what reason is that, pray tell?"

"Because I was told... that if I didn't help capture all of the 'Total Drama' cast members in twenty-four hours, that I'd never see my Cody-kins alive ever again!"

Bridgette's jaw dropped in shock. She could not believe it. Sierra had been placed in the same gut-wrenching situation as her!

**To be continued...**


	13. To Get Back to the Big Time

**24 in 24**  
**Story Written by Freedom Fighter**

What happened to all those people guessing who the mastermind was? The guesses stopped after Sierra's involvement was revealed a few chapters ago. Well, good news, the mastermind's identity (or identities?) are revealed this chapter. Or... are they?

Also, you guys get your 'live' Noah fix again with this chapter. Enjoy it... because there won't be a new installment next week! Taking a short break before we hit the home stretch!

So, happy Easter! See you in two weeks!

**Disclaimer:** The characters of the 'Total Drama' series belong to Fresh TV, Inc., Teletoon, and Cartoon Network, not me.

**-**  
**Chapter Thirteen - To Get Back to the Big Time (04.18.11)**  
**-**

"So..." Bridgette recapped slowly, "you're telling me... that the same people... who kidnapped Geoff... and forced me to help capture all of the cast members of the show... to get him back... also are responsible for nabbing Cody... and forcing you to get a hold of all of the cast members of the show... so you can get him back."

Sierra gave Bridgette an odd look, believing the blonde did not have a complete grasp on the situation.

"Holy Toledo, Bridgette!" Sierra threw her hands up. "It's not rocket science!"

"I'm sorry! It's just... it's just that this seems a little too hard to believe!"

"Maybe too much so, eh!" Ezekiel jumped in, as he stuck his face in front of Sierra's. "Yo, Bridge, I think she's trying to play us for fools!"

"When do I ever lie about anything involving my Cody-wody?"

Bridgette thought for a second. Sierra was making a compelling argument. But Ezekiel was determined to not let that happen.

"Gimme a break, eh! We let her go, and the next thing you know... **BAM!** She whacks us with a park bench, and that's the end of our story!"

"Why would I use a park bench?" Sierra asked, before adding under her breath, "I'd rather use an eighteen-wheeler on your scrawny little ass!"

"She came here with an intent to get **YOU**!" Ezekiel exclaimed, pointing at Bridgette for added emphasis. "If I hadn't had that change of heart and come back for you, she would've already gotten you!"

"I was doing what I needed to save Cody! Just like Bridgette was doing what she need to do to save Geoff! We were forced into helping out some no-goodniks!"

"We may have been forced to help," Bridgette spoke up, "but we weren't exactly told the same duties. I was only told to get people like Lindsay and Tyler into position to get taken..."

"...and then I was one of those brought in to do the actual capturing!" finished Sierra. "I was part of the crew that actually captured Lindsay and Tyler. Oh, and I guess Courtney and LeShawna, too."

"We were there for Courtney. But how did you get LeShawna?"

"Elephant tranquilizer dart."

Bridgette's eyes went wide with shock. Ezekiel was livid.

"So, what, we're animals to you now?"

"Hey! It was what they gave me! Besides, it was a baby dose!"

"Hold on, hold on!" Bridgette said, coming back to her senses on her own. "When did you go after LeShawna?"

"Not exactly sure," Sierra shrugged, unable to affix a specific time. "But it was definitely last night. I dunno... around eight thirty-ish, I think."

"Eight thirty? That was around the time I tried to call LeShawna after I found Geoff's phone in the parking lot!"

"Yeah, so?"

"Well, when I couldn't get in contact with LeShawna, I got a text message telling me that I'd be next. So, in fear, I ran over to the diner across the street."

"And?"

"And? Sierra, Cody was there!"

"Cody? My Cody?"

"Yes, your Cody! Alive and uncaptured... well, for the one minute I was with him before the power suddenly went out and he fought off whomever was trying to get me at the risk of his own well-being!"

Sierra gasped. "Cody-kins was taken right before your very eyes and you did **NOTHING** to prevent it?"

"What was I supposed to do?"

"Let them take **YOU**!"

"Are you serious?"

"Very! If they wanted **YOU**, then they should have taken **YOU**! Not my past-future husband, present best friend, future-future husband!"

"Why they took Cody in the diner instead of me is **NOT** the point I'm trying to make here, Sierra!"

Sierra put her hands on her hips and glared at Bridgette.

"Oh, really? Then what **IS** the point?"

"The point is, Sierra, is that they had you working for them before they had even gotten their hands on Cody!"

"You mean... **NO WAY!** They've been **USING** me without my consent?"

"Pretty much."

"Ooh! That burns my biscuits!"

"They must've thought that you would've never gone along with helping them unless they said they had Cody!"

"Man!" Sierra snapped her fingers in disgust. "Shoulda asked for voice proof."

"That's all well and good," Ezekiel piped in, "but what are we supposed to do now, eh?

"Good question," responded Bridgette, though it was not much of an answer. "What to do... what to do?"

"Well," Sierra looked at her. "We have to do something! They're expecting me to bring you in."

"Yeah. And they want me to bring you in. And Zeke and Noah, too."

"**WHAT?**" Ezekiel freaked out. "I thought you said you were gonna tell me everythin', yo!"

"That was kind of hard to do when you and Sierra were trying to rip each others' heads off!"

"Wait..." Sierra thought out loud. "Bridgette, why would they tell me to do one thing and yet tell you to do something different?"

Bridgette shrugged her shoulders.

"Hmmm... I think we can use this to our advantage!"

"What do you mean, Sierra?"

Sierra smirked. She knew how she could save her beloved Cody, as well as Geoff and the others.

"First things first. How much does Noah know?"

"Nothing," replied Bridgette. "I haven't told him anything..."

"...but I told her that we **SHOULD**!" interjected Ezekiel.

Sierra agreed with Ezekiel. "For my plan to work, we're gonna have to tell him everything."

"But... what if he decides not to help and instead goes to the RCMP?"

"Oh, trust me. Noah's gonna wanna help once I talk to him."

* * *

Twenty minutes later, Bridgette was behind the wheel as she drove up to Courtney's house. The property was swarming with police officers, still in the midst of their investigation. Bridgette put the car in park and scanned the area for Noah.

"C'mon, Noah..." she said aloud. "Where are you?"

Ezekiel's peepers were also looking about, even as he continued to gnaw at his seat belt. Sierra was slumping down in the back seat behind Bridgette, trying to keep from being seen.

"Relax, Sierra. I'm sure the RCMP hasn't figured out that you're the one responsible for all of this."

"You think I wanna take that chance?"

"But... it was **YOUR** idea to tell Noah everything!"

"Yeah. But, if the cops figure out it was me, and they find me here... they'll send me up the river without a paddle! And then Cody will be able to put in that restraining order and make it stick! If that happens, the next time I see him, he'll be too old to have my bay-bies!"

"Sheesh," Ezekiel said, rolling his eyes, "girls can be such drama queens! Isn't that right, my Bridgey-boo?"

He turned his head towards her, looking for an affirmative response. But, to his surprise, she was glaring at him instead. As was Sierra.

"You're lucky we need you," Sierra said to him. "Or we'd throw you out of this car right now!"

Ezekiel gulped, becoming aware that he was on thin ice with them. Thankfully, Noah arrived to break the tension, as he opened the rear passenger side door and slid into the back seat.

"Ugh!" Noah complained loudly. "I thought they'd **NEVER** stop with the questions!"

Noah then looked to his left and noticed that Sierra was in the car with Bridgette and Ezekiel.

"Oh," he added sarcastically, "nice to see our little 'get the word out campaign' netted nothing more than Super Mega Crazy Fangirl!"

"Hmph!" huffed Sierra. "You should be **LUCKY** you're still here on the outside instead of the others!"

Noah looked confused as he turned towards Bridgette.

"What is she talking about?"

Bridgette sighed. "We'll... or, rather, I'll explain everything on the way."

"On the way? To where, may I ask?"

She sighed a second time.

"I'm **SO** not looking forward to this."

* * *

Meanwhile, the driver of the white van who had dropped Sierra off had arrived at the airport and was hopping out to pick up the package. The adult male glanced down at his wrist and noted that the flight carrying it in should have already landed, and he was rushing because he was in a hurry.

He slammed the van driver's side door shut and headed for the terminal. As he did, he whipped out a cell phone and pressed a button on the keypad, making it automatically dial a predetermined number. He raised it up to his ear, hearing it ring just once before someone answered on the other end.

"I'm here," he said.

"Well, it's **ABOUT** time!" the muffled voice on the other end responded.

"Sheesh. If you're gonna berate me, at least do it in your **ACTUAL** voice!"

He heard his contact scoff, then go silent for a few seconds before finally speaking again, this time in her real voice.

"There? You happy?"

"Much. Traffic was a bitch, but I made it here."

"Good. We can't risk him staying out in the open for long! You know McLean's probably figured out by now that we snatched his little 'pet project!' He's sure to come and try and get it back. You know our client won't be happy if the set is missing even **ONE** person!"

"I know. And if he's not happy..."

"We don't get paid."

"Exactly... Josh."

The adult man smiled as the current male host of gossip show 'Celebrity Manhunt' walked into the terminal and past the video camera recording everyone going through that entrance.

"My cut better be hefty!" Josh growled into the phone. "Especially since it's **MY** neck being stuck out here!"

"Chill," his female cohort reassured him. "You're in and you're out in a snap, and no one's the wiser!"

"Fine. I'll call you when I'm en route with the package."

With that, Josh hung up...

* * *

...and on the other end, Blaineley smiled evilly as she twiddled her fingers and swung around in her twirling chair to look up at the big screen behind her mounted on the wall in her makeshift office.

"Everything's going according to plan," Blaineley told her silhouetted on-screen client. "You'll have the entire cast of Total Drama for your living, breathing amusement by sunset!"

"Excellent," the squeaky-voiced client chirped with glee. "If you succeed, then I'll make sure that not only will you get your job on 'Celebrity Manhunt,' but that the producers will offer you a lifetime contract, good for as long as you want to be on the show!"

"I can't wait! Superstars of the world, look out! Blaineley Stacey Andrews O'Halloran is coming back to your TVs to dish the latest celebrity gossip! And my first exclusive... the downfall of Chris McLean and the entire Total Drama franchise! **A-HA HA HA HA HA HA!**"

**To be continued...**


	14. Regret and Remorse

**24 in 24**  
**Story Written by Freedom Fighter**

Down to the final four chapters! It's the calm before the storm, so here's a good chance to get Noah involved in the story again right before everything comes to a head...

**Disclaimer:** The characters of the 'Total Drama' series belong to Fresh TV, Inc., Teletoon, and Cartoon Network, not me.

**-**  
**Chapter Fourteen - Regret and Remorse (05.02.11)**  
**-**

"So... let me see if I have this straight..."

Noah took a minute to clear his throat, before continuing with...

"I was right all along!"

"I'm sorry, Noah!" apologized Bridgette, "but I was worried that if I told you, you'd tell me to go the RCMP, and I'd say I couldn't because that would be the end of Geoff, and then... **WAIT!** Did you just say... you were right all along?"

Noah nodded.

"You knew?"

"Not at first," admitted Noah, "but it didn't take long for me to figure it out."

"Shoulda seen this as a possibility," Sierra thought out loud. "After all, he's got an IQ of 165. I should know... I was with him the last time he got it verified."

"Uninvited, I might add!"

"So if you knew," Bridgette cut in, as she tried to keep her eyes on the road as she looked in the rear-view mirror at Noah, "then why..."

"...did I play dumb this whole time?" Noah finished her sentence for her. "One, I didn't wanna freak you out, and two..."

Noah proceeded to point at Ezekiel.

"I didn't wanna freak **HIM** out either!"

"Freak out?" Ezekiel glared. "I do not freak out, eh!"

"You were pretty freaked when you found out," Bridgette uncomfortably recalled. "Never-wanna-see-you-again-for-not-telling-me freaked."

"As for when," Noah spoke up, "which inevitably what you were going to ask next..."

* * *

Flashback to earlier that morning, back at Courtney's house...

"I'm with Noah at Courtney's right now. Listen, I don't have time to explain. I want you to meet me at Sunnybrook Park."

Bridgette was on Noah's cell phone talking to Lindsay, unaware that just around the corner, Noah was eavesdropping. He was frowning upon hearing Bridgette telling Lindsay to go to the wrong place. But instead of taking action, he started heading back to the kitchen the second he heard Bridgette hung up.

* * *

"I could tell from the pitch and tone of your voice that it wasn't a slip of the tongue or a sudden random moment of forgetfulness," Noah explained. "You were directing Tyler and Lindsay into a trap on purpose! And that's when all the pieces came together."

"Not to mention willingly letting my Cody-kins get snatched!" interjected Sierra.

Noah hushed Sierra by placing a hand over her mouth.

"After that, I kept my distance... just to make sure."

"So you stayed behind at Court's on purpose?"

"That... and I wanted to find out if the rumors about her are true. They are. Girl may have a stick up her butt, but she can make cheesecake to die for! Mmmm..."

Noah licked his lips, remembering what it tasted like. Sierra used the opportunity to lower Noah's hand away from her mouth so she could speak.

"Note to self," Sierra said aloud to herself, "update Wiki page to say that Courtney may have a future as a world-class pastry chef."

"Anyway," Noah responded, as he rolled his eyes, "now that you know how I know, what I want to know is what we're going to do now."

"Well," Bridgette told him, "Sierra and I figured that whomever wants us to gather the entire cast wants it done by seven tonight."

"It's a deadline," added Sierra. "I was told the boss plans to do something then."

"'Something' is pretty vague," Noah grumbled. "Can you be more specific?"

"I wish I could, but I never met the boss in person. All I know is what I was told."

"Well, you're obviously missing the big picture. If he wants **ALL** of us, then what's the point of having you and Bridge trying to get everyone so that he'll let you and 'love interests'..."

"Boyfriend!" shouted Bridgette. "My boyfriend!"

"And best friend, possibly-future-husband, thank you!" exclaimed Sierra.

"Whatever," Noah replied. "Obviously, he has no intention of keeping that promise."

"Duh!"

"Wait... so if you know this, you're still going along with this?"

"In a matter of speaking," answered Bridgette, "yes. You see, the only way we're gonna stop them is to free the others. And the only way to free the others is to find their hideout. And we can find their hideout by letting them taking us to it!"

"You mean **LET** them nab us?" Noah screamed.

Bridgette nodded.

"So, what, we're surrendering?"

"No. You see, the mastermind whose been jerking me around since last night has promised to finally free Geoff. On the condition that I round up you three and turn you all over."

"Then what?"

"Well, I expect that when they come to pick you guys up, Geoff won't be with them. I'll complain that they backed on their promise, and they say that if I come with them, they'll take me to Geoff. They drive us all to their headquarters. There, I can free Geoff, you guys can find and release the others, and together we can take these kidnappers down!"

"Uh, not to be continually pessimistic, but you really don't think they'll double-cross us and toss us in the river?"

"We're betting **AGAINST** that," filled in Sierra. "I have reason to suspect these kidnappers are getting paid handsomely for the entire 'set.' If they wanna be swimming in dough, they have to collect all of us."

"But since you've actually been to the hideout," Noah shot back at Sierra, "wouldn't it be easier if you were the one turning us in by driving us there?"

"No. They'd expect that. I'm crafty enough to attempt something like that. But at the same time, they know Bridgette's a weakling, and would never hurt a fly! So, our plan involves combining our strengths!"

"Hold up!" Bridgette suddenly shouted. "We're here."

Bridgette turned off the main road and onto a side street with trees lining both sides. Noah and Ezekiel peeked out the window and through the trees could see a golf course.

"Where are we?" queried Ezekiel.

"The Lambton Country Club," replied Bridgette.

Bridgette parked in the side lot, as far away from the country club and the golf course as possible. Bridgette took the keys out of the ignition, then unbuckled her seatbelt, got on her knees, and looked over her seat and at the others.

"Okay, they should be here in twenty minutes! We've got one chance at this! Let's just hope we can pull this off."

* * *

Meanwhile, somewhere else on the streets of Toronto, the two younger male kidnappers were in a plain white van. Suddenly, they heard a cell phone rang. It was quickly answered by the guy sitting in the passenger seat.

"Yes?"

"I want a status report!" he heard Blaineley shout from the end.

"She was right where you told us she'd be. We're on our way back."

"No. Not yet. It seems one of our patsies has a big score ready for pick-up. Or rather... she **SHOULD** have one ready."

"And if it's not?"

"Heh... you know what to do."

* * *

"Stop squirmin', you!"

Sierra was in the process of binding Ezekiel's hands and wrists together with rope, but he was fidgeting so much during the process that as she tightened them, the rope was starting to chafe his skin.

"**OW!** That burns, eh!"

"Well, maybe if you'd stop moving like there's ants in your pants..."

While Ezekiel continued to struggle and object to what he deemed harsh treatment from Sierra, things were much calmer with Noah, who sat on the parking lot pavement patiently as Bridgette quietly tied rope around his arms and wrists, behind his back.

Perhaps... too quietly.

"Uh, Bridge..." Noah spoke up after about a minute.

"Oh!" she gasped, pulling away. "Did... is it too tight?"

"No. It's fine."

They went silent once again. Hopefully, silent enough to hear themselves think... but the sounds of Sierra struggling to bind Ezekiel and his anguished reaction to her actions kept filling their ears.

Finally, Bridgette finished with Noah's wrists. She picked up a second rope off of the pavement and then moved in front of Noah. She began working on tying his legs together at his ankles. Noah could not see Bridgette's head over his knees, which were up in the air in such away so that his feet were flat on the ground. So he tried to peek around them, in order to see Bridgette at work, with her head down, looking at his shoes.

Noah broke the silence shortly thereafter, as apparently there was something on his mind that he wanted to say.

"You know..."

"I know exactly what you're going to say," interrupted Bridgette, without looking up.

"You do?"

"Yes."

Noah gulped as his face turned red.

"I should've told you up front," she continued. "Maybe... maybe..."

"Yes?"

Bridgette stopped and looked up at Noah.

"Maybe if I had told you what was going on from the start... maybe we wouldn't have to be resorting to such a desperate plan!"

"Oh, that," Noah responded, both relieved and disappointed that she was not thinking the same thing that he was.

Bridgette went back to work, but she continued talking.

"Some times it's easy to forget how smart you are, Noah. I should've seen that as a good thing. Not a hindrance."

"Don't worry about it... people don't exactly think of my IQ first and foremost."

"But I've known you for a couple years now! I feel... I feel that I should know more about you."

Noah was attempting to think of a way to agree with her without sounding too condescending. But before he could...

"When this is all over... we **REALLY** should spend some time together."

Noah's heart nearly stopped.

"Together? Us?"

Bridgette finished up, then got to her feet. She then pulled Noah up by the vest, until he standing as well.

"I feel that we can really connect if we had time to chat. Just the two of us."

"Really?" Noah's face brightened with excitement. "Certainly!"

Bridgette let out a little chuckle upon seeing Noah's uncharacteristic reaction.

"What?"

"It's just... I've never seen you this pleased about... well... ever!"

"Well, don't get used to it. If this fails... well, we're seriously boned."

"Don't worry..."

Bridgette wrapped her arms around Noah in a hug.

"This is gonna work. Trust me."

"**OMG!**"

Bridgette heard Sierra's shout, and saw the violet-haired girl sprinting her way.

"They're coming, they're coming!"

With no time left, Bridgette pulled away, reached into her pocket, and pulled out the handkerchief she was going to use to gag him.

"Open!"

Noah followed her order instantly, and she stuffed the hanky right into his mouth. He then felt Sierra pick him up, rush over to the trunk of the car. Sierra hastily dumped him in, and Noah felt him land right on Ezekiel. But before Noah could elicit a muffled reaction of pain...

Sierra slammed the trunk closed, leaving the two in darkness...

**To be continued...**


	15. The Busted Plan

**24 in 24**  
**Story Written by Freedom Fighter**

There are those moments where you can't afford for something to go wrong. And then, wouldn't you know it?

Something goes wrong...

**Disclaimer:** The characters of the 'Total Drama' series belong to Fresh TV, Inc., Teletoon, and Cartoon Network, not me.

**-**  
**Chapter Fifteen - The Busted Plan (05.09.11)**  
**-**

The non-descript white van carrying two of the kidnappers came to a stop in the parking lot, next to Noah's car. They stepped out, their masks covering everything on their face except for their eyes, noses, and mouths.

"So, where are they?" the one who had been driving asked.

"I dunno," the other replied. "Something's not right."

Suddenly, they heard the sound of an object hitting a tree trunk. They turned towards the source and saw Bridgette staggering away from it, her blonde hair disheveled and a bent golf club in her hand.

"Help!" Bridgette called out. "She's... she's gonna get away!"

She pointed in the direction of where she had come from, and the interns, without even thinking, bolted off in that direction. Bridgette was gasping as if she was exhausted after an intense struggle, and she continued performing that act as the interns emerged a minute later, dragging Sierra, who looked as if she had been knocked unconscious.

"Oh, thank goodness," Bridgette said in relief. "It took all of my strength, and I **STILL** wasn't sure I had taken her down."

"Might've done too good a job," the driver observed. "Almost reminds me of the clobbering this one gave that brunette. You know, the one she brought in with Josh."

"Yeah," chuckled the other. "She'll probably sue this one when she finds out."

"Well, don't just stand there! Help us out, girl!"

Bridgette nodded, dropped the golf club, then ran over to pick up Sierra's legs. Together, the trio carried them over to the van. The driver handed Sierra's other arm to his partner, then went to open the back doors as he went to get some rope to tie Sierra up. When he opened it, though, Bridgette got quite a surprise upon peering inside.

There, lying on the floor and wriggling around, trying to get free of her own bonds, was Beth.

"Beth!"

Upon hearing her name, the glasses-wearing girl turned her head. She seemed equally as shocked to not only see Bridgette, but to see her assisting the kidnappers. Bridgette tried to look away, but found herself unable to. Especially when she saw Beth staring at her with a 'Why?' look on her face.

Bridgette started to mouth the words 'I'm sorry,' but she was interrupted by the driver, who tossed a long strip of coiled rope at her.

"Help tie her up!" he commanded.

Bridgette nodded and did as she was told. As she helped the driver's partner tie together Sierra's limbs, the driver himself asked...

"The boss said this was supposed to be a big score! Please tell me there's more."

"Y-yeah," Bridgette stuttered. "There's two more over in the trunk."

She reached into her pocket and pulled out the keys to Noah's car. He snatched them from her, then went to retrieve the rest of the 'big haul.'

"You took out a toughie," the other kidnapper said to Bridgette. "How'd you manage that?"

Bridgette shrugged and replied, "dumb luck, I guess."

Just as they were finishing up, the driver called out to his partner.

"Hey! Come over here and help me with these two!"

He obliged, and sprinted over, leaving Bridgette alone with 'playing dead' Sierra and the distraught Beth. She slid over towards the van and turned to explain things to Beth.

"Beth, listen!" she exclaimed, trying not to be too loud. "I can't tell you everything, but I'm working with these guys just so I can find the others! These kidnappers are working for someone who's trying to round up the whole 'Total Drama' cast! And this is the only way I could think of to get them to show me where everyone is! So... just play along! Everything's going to be fine!"

Beth thought for a second about what Bridgette had told her, and then nodded. After all, Beth knew Bridgette well enough that she could trust her. Whether she thought Bridgette could pull it off... she was not quite as sure.

Meanwhile, Bridgette immediately resumed her 'cover,' as she tried to lift Sierra off of the ground and into the van. Sierra woke up to help, as she hopped backwards, landing inside on her butt.

"I think it worked," Sierra said.

"Shhhh!" shushed Bridgette. "They're coming!"

Sierra laid back down and closed her eyes, and Bridgette started pushing the rest of the dark-skinned girl's legs into the van. The two masked man appeared next to Bridgette, and used teamwork to throw Ezekiel in. Like Sierra, Ezekiel was acting as if he was knocked out. Noah, on the other hand, was trying to bounce away. But all he succeeded in doing was spitting out the gag Bridgette had stuffed into his mouth in haste a few minutes earlier.

"I despise having to pull a Courtney," Noah grumbled, "but you guys are gonna hear from my lawyers about this!"

As the two henchmen rushed to silence Noah again, he turned to yell some choice words at Bridgette.

"And to think I wanted to go out with you! I hope you can live with yourself after this... because I'll make sure you'll get the book thrown at you as hard as Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum here are gonna get it!"

Bridgette gasped in shock, that dagger of words bitterly piercing her heart. But before Noah could say one word more, he was kneed in the stomach, hard enough to nearly knock all of the air out of him. But although Noah did not fall unconscious, he was left temporarily too weak to struggle any further, as his gag was tied on correctly and then he was tossed into the back of the van with the others.

"I don't know how you could stand him on the show," the second man said to Bridgette. "If he said that to me, I'd sock him in the face!"

The back doors were closed, and the two kidnappers started to head back to the front.

"Wait!" Bridgette cried out, afraid they were going to leave her behind. "I was promised that if I did what I was told, I'd get Geoff back!"

They stopped, did an about face, and walked back to Bridgette.

"She does have a point," the second said to the first.

"Fine," relented the first.

He then growled menacingly at Bridgette as he leaned forward into her face.

"But if you try **ANYTHING**, you're going in the back with the others."

Bridgette nodded. The second grabbed her by the arm and pulled her towards the passenger side door, which she let him do willing.

"Everything's going to plan," thought Bridgette. "Let's just hope it stays that way."

* * *

Meanwhile, at the airport, Josh was patiently waiting in the arrivals area. Because of an unexpected delay, the passengers on the flight he was keeping an eye on were only now being allowed into the terminal.

"C'mon," Josh said, as he snapped to attention, "where are they?"

People from that flight were starting to emerge from behind the security area and making their way to baggage claim. Eventually, the 'package' Josh was waiting for became visible.

"There you are..."

This 'package' consisted of two people... DJ and Alejandro. The latter was wearing a metal mask, to cover up his face since the procedure to reconstruct it after nearly being melted off in Hawai'i had not yet been completed.

"Once I get those two," Josh uttered to himself, "the set should be complete! And then I can tell Blaineley to kiss my a-..."

Josh never got to finish his thought, because suddenly a pair of handcuffs were snapped onto his wrists. He turned to see who had done it, and noted that there were two RCMP officers behind him. He tried to back away as he forgot about his targets and started to scan the area for an escape route, but bumped into another pair of RCMP.

"I demand to know the meaning of this!" Josh declared.

"Isn't it obvious?"

Josh glanced to his left and saw a smirking Chris McLean walking towards him.

"Multiple counts of kidnapping, for starters," Chris told him. "Plus, I'm not happy because I had to pay extra to pull Alejandro out of medical treatment! Reconstructive surgery MD's aren't cheap, you know!"

"I don't know what you're talking about!" Josh huffed, taking the 'deny everything' approach.

"We've got a couple incriminating phone recordings that would say otherwise. I'll see to it that you and Blaineley are put away for a long, LONG time! No one gets away with threatening the cash cows of Chris McLean!"

"I'll never tell you where she is," Josh yelled as the RCMP started escorting him away. "**NEVER!**"

"You don't have to... because I already know where she is."

* * *

"The entire cast should be here and ready to be shipped out within the hour," Blaineley told her superior as she looked up at the screen in her office.

"Ahead of schedule? Very good."

Blaineley then heard a chime in the background.

"I believe the boys are back. If you'll excuse me... I have a couple last loose strings to take care of."

She pressed a button on her desk, ending the video call. She then got to her feet and headed out of the room.

* * *

"Alright, let's move it!"

One by one, the captives hopped out of the van, the ropes around their ankles having been undone so they could walk. Noah came out first, followed by Ezekiel, Beth, and lastly, Sierra. They were directed to walk towards some nearby stairs, and were followed closely by their two captors and Bridgette, who kept her head down and avoided eye contact with the others.

Once they reached the stairs, the group stopped. As soon as it did, they heard a metal door open at the top. All their eyes shot upwards to see who was going to emerge from it.

They did not have to wait long, as Blaineley appeared in the doorway, an evil smile on her face as she started descending towards them. Sierra and Ezekiel both had rage in their eyes, and it was taking all of their willpower now to attack the former gossip show host right there and then. Beth was speechless, not that should could say anything with her mouth gagged, Noah was annoyed at this development, and Bridgette...

The frown on her face said it all.

"I'm glad you all made it!" greeted Blaineley, though her voice was dripping with sarcasm. "You're just in time for the gift portion of the party! Oh, wait, I forgot... you're not opening presents! You fools **ARE** the presents! **A HA HA HA HA HA!**"

"Where's Geoff?" Bridgette asked, in a demanding tone.

"Oh, you want to see your man?"

Bridgette nodded.

"Well, I am a woman of my word. He's upstairs. I'll take you to him."

Blaineley then looked over to her henchmen and the other captives.

"As for this riff-raff... you two know what to do!"

The two nodded, then led Noah, Ezekiel, Beth, and Sierra off. Blaineley started heading back up the stairs and Bridgette started to follow... but she stopped after a few steps as she stood helplessly and watched the others disappear behind a set of doors.

"Hey, Blondie!" Blaineley shouted. "I don't have all day!"

Bridgette took a deep breath, then climbed the rest of the way up. Blaineley waited for her, and once Bridgette was on the other side of the door, the older woman slammed it shut behind her.

**To be continued...**


	16. Collection, Complete?  Part 1

**24 in 24**  
**Story Written by Freedom Fighter**

Time for the penultimate chapter! Bridgette confronts Blaineley for the truth, while the others enact their rescue plan...

**Disclaimer:** The characters of the 'Total Drama' series belong to Fresh TV, Inc., Teletoon, and Cartoon Network, not me.

**-**  
**Chapter Sixteen - Collection, Complete? - Part 1 (05.16.11)**  
**-**

Bridgette and Blaineley were walking down a dimly lit corridor, towards a bright light lying past a doorway at the end of the hall. The younger blonde maintained a safe distance of about three or four steps behind, wanting time to react in case her older counterpart made a move she did not like.

"So, what's with the outfit?" Blaineley asked without looking back. "Never thought of you as a sweater vest kinda girl."

Bridgette opened her mouth to reply, but Blaineley cut her off.

"I know, I know, 'I have a boyfriend!' Heh... you should seriously market that as your catchphrase. Or put it on a shirt! Anyone who's cool wears one of those."

"Catchphrase?"

"And, word of advice? You've got a pretty nice bod, so you don't have to rip clothes to show your puppies off."

Blaineley was referring to the small two-inch tear right down the center of Bridgette's top, which had been ripped during her 'struggle' with Sierra. And, as a result, she was showing some cleavage.

"I... forgot to put on a bra this morning?"

"I know. Gwen's not your size."

Bridgette stopped and gasped in shock.

"H-h-how did you know I slept at Gwen's last night?"

Blaineley smirked. "I didn't... until now."

"But... but then you... **UGH!**"

Bridgette stomped her foot in disgust. Blaineley stopped, then turned about to address her concerns.

"Oh, don't fret. If I wanted you brought in last night, I would've had you snatched at the diner last night instead of Cody! Besides, I thought it was lot more fun to use you as my puppet!"

Bridgette scowled at Blaineley, but it did not phase her one bit. She then resumed her walk towards the end of the hallway, motioning for Bridgette to keep following her.

"Come on... I've got a schedule to keep."

* * *

The pair stepped into Blaineley's makeshift office in the warehouse. Bridgette's eyes instantly turned towards the large video screen on the far wall, which definitely stuck out. In fact, she was staring at it for so long that she had forgotten to keep her eyes on Blaineley.

No matter, as the former celebrity gossip show host reappeared in front of her, with some clean clothes in hand. For Bridgette.

"What the..."

Blaineley handed her an aqua-colored sweatshirt and jean shorts... the exact size as the ones Bridgette wore during her time on 'Total Drama.'

"How did..."

"It's not exactly like you're a trendsetter! Tons of teenagers dress like you. Besides, the only real hang up was figuring out your size... and even that didn't take that long."

Blaineley then pointed to a door on the other side of the room.

"You can use my private restroom to freshen up a bit. You want to look your best when your boyfriend sees you. Don't you?"

"She may be right," Bridgette thought, "but Blaineley's definitely got an ulterior motive! Still... I have to find out **EXACTLY** what she's up to! And stop her!"

Bridgette smiled and nodded her head.

"Okay, Blaineley. Thanks!"

* * *

Meanwhile, down in the main storage area of the hangar, Noah, Ezekiel, Sierra, and Beth were led towards the large cages where the rest of the cast members were being held.

Suddenly, Sierra crossed her right foot over her left, and tripped.

"**WAAAA!** Ow, ow, ow!"

The group stopped, and the two men went over to Sierra and squatted down to help her.

"Dang it!" one of them yelled. "They're supposed to be in mint condition!"

"Mint got thrown out the window when the surfer chick bashed her with a golf club!"

Noah smirked as the duo had turned their backs to him and Ezekiel. Big mistake.

"**NOW!**"

Ezekiel used pure strength to rip through his bonds, and he leaped at the masked guy closer to him. He tackled him, and the two tumbled off to the side. Sierra then slammed her shoulder into the other and rammed him towards and into a nearby crate, back-first.

The noise got the attention of all of the prisoners, and they all stuck their heads out to see what was going on. Noah hopped over to the closest cage, which was the one Lindsay was in.

"Quick, Lindsay, untie me!"

Lindsay went to work as Ezekiel and Sierra kept the two men at bay. Soon, Noah was free, and he got over to Beth and started to undo her ropes himself.

"You guys are pretty bold!" Beth exclaimed.

"Well, don't thank us yet. This isn't over."

Suddenly, they all heard a scream. Everyone's eyes shot upward as one of the interns had been thrown into the air.

"Easy!" Noah shouted. "Subdue, not extinguish!"

A few seconds later, both Ezekiel and Sierra walked back over to Noah, each with an unconscious and unmasked kidnapper in hand. And Sierra had done it with her hands still tied behind her back.

"Yes, we're **THAT** good!" exclaimed Sierra.

Noah finished untying Beth, who in turn then went to do the same for Sierra. He then reached down and pulled the key ring off of one of the interns' bodies.

"You guys free the others..." Noah reminded Sierra.

"...and you and Zeke go help Bridgette!" Sierra told them. "Right!"

With that, the guys ran off to complete their mission.

* * *

A few minutes later, Bridgette exited the bathroom. She had changed into her normal clothes, and she had washed the dirt off of her face as best as she could considering she only had a sink and a bar of soap to work with it. She had also taken the time to wash her hair, as made evident by the towel wrapped around the top of her head.

"Ah, good, you're finished!" Blaineley said with glee. "Take a seat! I've called my men and told them to bring Geoff here... as you requested."

Bridgette sat down in the wooden chair, as Blaineley had told her.

"Do you want anything before I let you two go on your merry way? Tea and dog biscuits?"

Bridgette raised an eyebrow, finding such a suggestion a bit odd.

"What? This used to be a storage warehouse for a major dog food manufacturer! There were a few left over pallets, so I started feeding them to your friends. I think they liked them."

"Speaking of my friends," Bridgette changed the subject, "you never told me what you're doing with them. Tell me... what did you mean downstairs when you said they were going to be presents?"

Blaineley smiled.

"Hmmm... I suppose I could tell you. Seeing as how we won. But..."

"But?"

"You promise this'll be our little secret? Just between us girls?"

Bridgette thought for a second, then nodded in agreement. She needed to know the truth before she could figure out how to stop her.

"It's actually not all that complicated," Blaineley explained. "Me and my associates are under the employ of a very wealthy client. One who is into... collecting unique things."

"Oh... so you're working for a nerd? That sounds beneath you, Blaineley."

"Maybe so, but he's willing to reward us handsomely if we bring in his most unique collection yet. The entire cast... of 'Total Drama!'"

"He wants to collect us? Put actual, living humans, in a collection? As in, the type that are put into those plastic cases and put on display for everyone to see? That kind of collection."

"Uh huh."

Bridgette then came to a realization.

"Say... if he wants the **ENTIRE** cast, then why are you letting me and Geoff go?"

Blaineley stopped for a second, trying to figure out how to respond to that query.

"Say..."

She came out from behind her desk and walked over to Bridgette.

"Do you really want to be seen with a towel on your head when Geoff walks through that door?"

She snatched the towel from Bridgette's hair before she could reach up to stop her.

"Hey! My hair's still wet!"

"No worries," Blaineley assured her as she sauntered back behind her desk. "I hear half-wet locks are **IN** this season. But if that's not your thing, I can call for a fresh towel to be brought up."

Blaineley pressed a small button on her intercom... one that had a skull and crossbones on it. Suddenly, restraints popped up out of Bridgette's chair - one out of each of the armrests, and a third near her ankles. They all locked in and secured her before she knew it, and Bridgette knew she was in huge trouble.

"Wha? What's the meaning of this?"

Blaineley had an evil smile on her face.

"You **THINK** you could stop our plan? I **TOLD** you not to go to the cops!"

"But, I didn't! Honest!"

"**LIAR!** You think I don't know what happened at the airport?"

"The air..."

"The RCMP was there! And they arrested Josh!"

"Josh? As in your former co-host?"

"The very same! He was going to pick up DJ and Alejandro! But he walked into a trap... thanks to you and McLean!"

"Chris? Chris was there?"

"Of course he was there... **BECAUSE SIERRA TOLD YOU THAT'S WHERE HE'D BE!**"

"Sierra never told me that! I didn't even know Josh was involved! Or Chris, for that matter! I swear, so please... you don't have to do this!"

"I'm afraid... I can't do that."

Bridgette was stunned speechless as a helmet popped out of the top of the chair. She struggled even as Blaineley lowered the helmet onto her still sopping head and buckled in the strap underneath her chin.

"You see, Bridgey... our client was only going to give all of us what we wanted if we sent him the **ENTIRE** cast of the show. But now with both DJ and Alejandro out of play, the plan is now a bust!"

She snapped her fingers, and a secret panel in the wall slid aside to reveal the power switch.

"So... you're... you're going to..."

"Oh, you can say it," pushed Blaineley, as she walked over to the switch. "Four-letter word, starts with a k..."

"Kill?"

"There you go! And yes. Yes, I am."

"But why?"

"You think I'm going to **LET** them take me to jail? I'm too beautiful for that! So I'm going on the run! But first... I have to take care of anyone who knows too much. Starting with you!"

Blaineley pulled out her mask from the top of her dress and used it to cover her face. Her identity now 'masked,' she turned to face Bridgette one last time, whose eyes begged for mercy.

"Nice knowing you, Bridgette! Oh, wait... no, it hasn't!"

With that, Blaineley, with one swift motion pulled the lever down...

...

...

...

...

...

**To be concluded...**


	17. Collection, Complete? Part 2

**24 in 24**  
**Story Written by Freedom Fighter**

And now, the long-awaited conclusion, presented completely uncut...

**Disclaimer:** The characters of the 'Total Drama' series belong to Fresh TV, Inc., Teletoon, and Cartoon Network, not me.

**-**  
**Chapter Seventeen - Collection, Complete? - Part 2 (05.23.11)**  
**-**

The 'masked' Blaineley was ready to execute Bridgette, who had been strapped into an electric chair against her will. Bridgette begged for mercy with her eyes, but Blaineley had no intention of straying from her evil intentions.

Blaineley used one swift motion to pull the activation lever down, and Bridgette closed her eyes, waiting for a lethal amount of electricity to suddenly be jolted into her body.

But after a few seconds, she reopened her peepers, none worse for the wear.

"Huh?"

She thought Blaineley had spared her, but as she glanced over to the former gossip show host, Blaineley had not relented at all. In fact, she was rapidly pushing and pulling the lever back up and down, attempting to get the electricity flowing. But it was no use.

"Damn it all!" she cursed, stomping her foot in disgust. "This wretched old place! Fuse must have broken."

Blaineley walked over and petted Bridgette on the head, in a demeaning fashion.

"Looks like you get to live for a few more minutes, kiddo!"

"She'll get to live a lot longer than that if we have our say!" a defiant male voice declared from afar.

Both blondes turned towards the door, and they saw Noah and Ezekiel standing there. Noah had a determined scowl on his face, while Ezekiel was foaming at the mouth as if he was ready to tear somebody limb from limb. Bridgette was delighted to see them, though Blaineley could not say the same.

"How did... that's the last time I employ Chris' useless inter-"

"**AAAAAAHHHH!**" Noah and Ezekiel screamed as they charged forward.

"What?"

Both guys leaped forward at Blaineley, tackling her and knocking her to the ground. The back of her head hit the concrete floor, and the impact was hard enough to knock her unconscious instantly. The boys stayed on top of her body long enough to make sure she had been knocked out - and for Ezekiel to generate a small puddle of drool on Blaineley's stomach - before Noah got up and pulled Ezekiel up with him.

"Am I glad to see you guys!" exclaimed Bridgette as the duo came to her side.

Ezekiel went to work breaking the metal restraints. First, the two on her wrists, and then the one around her ankles. Meanwhile, Noah lifted the helmet off of the top of Bridgette's head. Once she was completely free, she stood up and gave both of them a peck on the cheek. Ezekiel reacted to his by fainting on the spot, while Noah just stood there in stunned silent, reaching up to where Bridgette had kissed him after a few seconds.

"Gee," chuckled Bridgette, "you guys are acting as if you've never been kissed by a girl before."

Noah's face flushed a bright red.

"That's ridiculous! Of course I've been kissed before!"

The duo then looked down to see what Ezekiel's excuse would be, but he was still in dream world, twitching as if he was a dog who was happily on the receiving end of a belly rub.

"In all seriousness," Bridgette said, turning to Noah. "If there's **ANYTHING** I can do to repay you..."

"Well," Noah coyly recalled, "you **DID** say you wanted to spend some time to get to know me."

"Of course, Noah! Just the name the time and place and..."

"**BRIDGEY-POO!**"

Bridgette squealed with glee upon hearing her boyfriend's voice. She ran over to Geoff and jumped up into his waiting arms. She wrapped her legs around his waist for support, and the two lovebirds looked longingly into each others' eyes.

"I was so worried I wasn't gonna make it, babe!" Geoff told her.

"I was so worried I wouldn't be able to save you, pooky!" Bridgette said in response.

The two then leaned in and began an impromptu make-out session right on the spot. Noah frowned in disbelief as Sierra and Cody walked into the room, the former closing the door behind her. The duo headed over to Noah and Ezekiel, who had finally came out of his stupor, as they passed by the kissing couple.

"That kinda gives me an idea..." Sierra thought out loud, before staring suggestively at Cody.

"Oh, c'mon!" argued Cody. "I just survived twenty-some hours of captivity! You can't give me five minutes to relish my freedom!"

Sierra pulled out an egg timer, set it for five minutes, and placed it on the right arm of the electric chair.

"I didn't mean **LITERALLY**!"

"Ugh," Noah grumbled as he pulled Ezekiel off the ground. "what's a guy got to do to get **THAT** kind of action."

"Yeah!" Ezekiel agreed.

"We saved her from the brink of death and we get a peck on the cheek. Geoff spends almost an entire day in a cage and she's two seconds from stripping down to her birthday suit for him."

"Yeah!"

"Sometimes it makes me wish I wasn't straight."

"Yeah... huh?"

Ezekiel had a confused look on his face as he stared at Noah.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

"You're into boys, eh?"

"**IT WAS A PASSING COMMENT! NOTHING SHOULD BE MADE OF IT!**"

"Pfft. Whatever, eh!"

In the midst of the celebration, though, Blaineley had come to. She had gotten up, and was halfway to the door before anyone had noticed her.

"The evil temptress is trying to escape!" Sierra shouted, pointing right at Blaineley.

"**YOU'LL NEVER TAKE ME ALIVE!**" Blaineley yelled.

The yelling was enough to grab Geoff's and Bridgette's attentions, and they joined the others in trying to apprehend Blaineley.

"So long, suckers!" Blaineley told them as she reached for the knob.

She grabbed it and was about to turn it, when suddenly the door was kicked into her face! Blaineley was knocked to the ground a second time, though this time she stayed conscious as pain shot to the back of her head. Blaineley peeked over the top of the door, which was now lying flat on top of her, to see who was responsible.

"Yay! I'm helping!"

"**IZZY?**" everyone gasped, as they saw the crazy redhead in the doorway.

"That's my name!"

She then unclenched her fist and showed that she had four small electrical fuses in hand.

"I pulled these out of that little metal box down the hall," Izzy told them. "Hope they weren't for anything important!"

"Ohhh..." groaned Blaineley as she lowered her head back down.

* * *

Twenty minutes later, everyone was gathered outside. A gaggle of RCMP officers had converged on the site. Many were tasked with interviewing everyone in order to get the complete story of what had been transpired.

A squad car holding Chris' two rogue interns sped away, and the back door of another was being opened by one officer as two more brought the handcuffed Blaineley towards it. On the way to the car, though, Blaineley passed by Bridgette, Noah, Ezekiel, and Sierra.

"Wait a minute!" Blaineley exclaimed. "What about the two of **THEM**?"

She pointed to both Bridgette and Sierra.

"Is what she's saying true?" one of the officers asked Bridgette.

Bridgette stood there, shaking in fear. Even though she had been told to help Blaineley and her cronies, it was not like they threatened her with a weapon. She could have easily opted out of helping, and have gotten help. But she decided to assist Blaineley's plot in order to save Geoff, over the safety of the rest of her friends.

"Um... um..."

"C'mon," the officer pushed. "Is it true?"

"Um..."

Then, out of the blue, Noah came to her rescue.

"It's completely untrue, officer! Bridgette had **NOTHING** to do with these lowlifes."

Noah then turned to Sierra...

"And for that matter, neither does Sierra! They're both innocent victims, just like the rest of us!"

The officer stared into Noah's eyes, trying to discern if he was telling the truth. Eventually...

"They're clean. Blondie here's the last one!"

"**WHAT?**" screamed Blaineley. "They're obviously lying! Don't you see that?"

The officer snapped his fingers, as if recognizing who Blaineley was.

"Hey... aren't you Blaineley Stacey Andrews O'Halloran! You used to be on that show... 'Celebrity Manhunt!'"

"Yes! Are you a fan?"

He frowned.

"No. I **HATED** that show. You'd always make celebrities look bad. Put her in the car, boys!"

Blaineley was tossed into the back seat of the squad car. Before the door could get slammed behind her, she yelled back at Bridgette and the others.

"**I'LL GET MY REVENGE ON ALL OF YOU! ESPECIALLY YOU, BRIDGETTE!**"

Bridgette gulped, but her fear quickly went away when Noah and Ezekiel appeared on either side of her, with their comforting hands on her shoulders. Blaineley continued making threats, but none of them could be heard as the door was slammed shut and the driver was signaled to head off.

"She better not try and come after Bridge, eh!" Ezekiel proclaimed. "Else she'll have to deal with The Zeke!"

"That makes two of us," Noah told Bridgette. "We'll make sure she'll never lay a finger on you ever again."

"Thanks, guys! Again, I really appreciate it!"

"I appreciate you, too!" Sierra said, as she came up and squeezed Noah in a bear hug. "I'd offer to go out on a date with me as a reward, but my Cody-kins already has dibs on my jelly!"

"I'm sure he's beyond thrilled," deadpanned Noah.

Geoff walked up to the group, happy as can be.

"I'm clear to go!" he said.

"That's great!" shouted Bridgette.

"And I believe I owe a certain someone a date with all the fixings! Including a private after-party, if you catch my drift."

Bridgette giggled. "Geoff... not in front of everyone!"

"Hold on, eh!" Ezekiel jumped in. "I was promised three dates if I helped Bridge rescue you, eh! And I'm using one of them tonight!"

"Heh heh..." Bridgette chuckled nervously, "now's not the time..."

"Funny," Noah interjected, "because Bridgette promised me some time for us to get to know each other. Given I put in just as much work as the formerly-clinically-insane here, I deserve just as much alone time as he does."

Geoff looked miffed at Bridgette's so-called promises.

"Geoff! I can explain!"

But instead of getting angry... he laughed with glee.

"You were desperate enough that you offered up dates so the guys could help you? Bridge?"

"Yeah... ha! That's what I did!"

Geoff pushed Bridgette in-between Noah and Ezekiel.

"I've got no beef with a few harmless dates. Have at her, boys!"

"**WHAT?**"

"If that's the case," Noah said, putting his arm around Bridgette. "I get the first date!"

"You?" Ezekiel growled, pinching Noah's hand off of Bridgette. "I called first!"

"When did you do that?"

"When you were lounging around in Courtney's house, eh!"

"She's too good for you!"

"And she's too bad for you, eh!"

"That doesn't make any sense!"

"You don't make any sense!"

Bridgette slipped away as Noah and Ezekiel continued to argue amongst themselves. But as she kept both eyes on them, she ended up bumping right into Geoff, who was grinning from ear to ear.

"You were gonna **LET** them take me out?"

"I was having some fun, babe! Gimme this one... I spent almost an entire day in a dark room! And I lost my fave hat to boot!"

"Well," Bridgette smirked, "I'll forgive you if..."

Geoff patted his breast pocket. "A hands-on session in private? Done! Let's blow this place! But... are you sure you're ready?"

"Oh... after everything that's happened the last 24 hours... I'm ready for anything!"

The two shared a kiss, as Geoff held his hand in the air to signal a taxi to take them to somewhere where they could 'go all the way' in private. All the while, Noah and Ezekiel continued to argue, unaware that their dream girl had already left with her dream boy...

**The End**

* * *

**Author's Notes:**  
And that's that! The four-month epic has reached its end!

Thank you, all of you, for making "24 in 24" one of my most read stories of all time! I really appreciate it! If you liked the story, please favorite and leave a review!

Lots of new stuff coming up real soon! The sequel to last year's hit, "Total Drama Fantasy," is about to debut! "Total Drama VGP" brings back the original's three main leads, Trent, Cody, and Gwen, and adds a fourth in Duncan. The three boys will wage the ultimate battle for Gwen's heart (and perhaps her pants, too) as they make their way through an adventure that parodies numerous video game parodies! "Total Drama VGP" debuts Tuesday, June 7th! Look for it!

Then, two nights later, another sequel to a fic from last year arrives as well! From the site of the Winter Olympics in Vancouver to the tropical Florida Keys, things heat up as 20 competitors from the casts of 'Total Drama World Tour,' '6teen,' and 'Stoked,' gather for a new competition. Some participated in last year's "Fresh from Canada," while others are making their reality series debuts. And this time around, there's no one individual winner. It's a team competition the whole way! It's "Fresh Challenge: Vets vs. Groms." That begins Thursday, June 9th! And look for the show page soon!

And don't forget, Noah is competing in "Roomies Goes Global," already in progress! Go and give him your support! And make sure you're tuned in all summer long... there's more to come! See ya!


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